


Ludens

by kat_the_writer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Punk, Bottom Upgraded Connor | RK900, Eventual Smut, Gavin's a robo-fucker in denial, Graffiti, M/M, Top Gavin Reed, be prepared for NSFW, literally no one is hetero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:34:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27810820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kat_the_writer/pseuds/kat_the_writer
Summary: The year is 2040. Detroit is the center of two major gangs: Central, a massive drug- and weapons-trafficking ring with wide-spread notoriety and more than a few cops in their back pocket; and Jericho, a mostly peaceful group of Androids who focus their efforts on creating thought-provoking and revolutionary art. Jericho only arose a couple years ago, but they fought hard and fast for Android liberation and, in doing so, raised the ire of many people around them.In comes a mysterious group, who daringly encroach on Central's territory in an effort to make a name for themselves... and maybe to draw the attention of a certain member.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 24
Kudos: 65
Collections: Reed900 Reverse Big Bang





	1. The Start of Something Good

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! as some of you may know I've been on a hiatus from my other projects to focus on this one - the Reed900 RBB! This is the first chapter of what is shaping up to be four total chapters.
> 
> The art is done by the wonderful @GlassPunk, please give them all the love!! They made such an amazing piece and I'm so honored to be writing for their art~

-~-

“You never know when you're gonna meet someone

and your whole wide world in a moment comes undone”

Start of Something Good - Daughtry

-~-

“What the fuck is this?” Gavin’s voice echoes through the empty air, only drowned out by the dim roaring of the freeway overhead. He lets his backpack slide off his shoulder to thump uselessly into the gravel at his feet.

Behind him comes a weary sigh as Tina quietly makes her way across the gravel of the underpass. “What, Gav?”

With a disgruntled noise, Gavin waves a hand at the concrete column before them. Where there had once been an intricate work-in-progress, now a rather monolithic painting in black-and-white covered every accessible inch. It even wrapped all the way around the column, he noted, as he circled it like an angry hawk.

From behind both of them, Chris nervously clears his throat and sets his own backpack on the ground. “Okay, there is no way a group of humans did this in one night.”

“So, what?” Tina fussed, crossing her arms. “Androids?”

Chris spared her a weary glance but nodded in reply. “Yea, most likely.”

With a huff, Gavin kicked into the gravel and flung a few pebbles at the column with his steel-toed boots. “Fuck that! Jericho knows this is our territory, they wouldn’t fuck with our pieces.”

“It’s, uh… it’s not Jericho, Gav,” Chris says, frowning.

Gavin pauses and slowly turns to look at his cohort, confusion knitting his brow together. “The fuck you mean it’s not Jericho? If it’s fuckin’ androids, it’s fuckin’ Jericho.”

Tina throws her hands up then, exasperated. “Fuck, Gavin! This is why you need to actually pay attention and be involved for once!” She ignores the cross look shot in her direction as she paces over to the graffiti. “No, it’s not Jericho. They’ve got their hands full anyways, less pieces from them have been popping up. But in their interim, this other group has started to make their mark.” She traces a line of the art piece with her finger. “Whoever they are, they always do these massive black-and-white structural pieces. And…” She prods a finger into a specific line of paint. “They sign with an ‘RK’.”

Gavin traces the path her finger was just following and, sure enough, the lines are perfectly constructed to read “RK” in the most concise font possible. Well… fuck. Yea, no, that definitely wasn’t Jericho, and the more he studied the graffiti the more that fact became clear. Jericho had structural pieces, sure, but they were also abstract and undefined and a lot more chaotic than this carefully crafted work of streamlined art. It was gorgeous, and foreboding, and—“Who the fuck is RK?”

Chris shrugs at that, gathering his backpack back up to sling over his shoulder. “No one really knows. They haven’t been seen out and about. Some people think they’re an offshoot of Jericho – a disgruntled group of androids who wanted to do their own shit.”

Gavin grabs his own bag and studies the column, a deep frown etched onto his face. “Whoever the fuck they are, they seriously overstepped.”

“You can say that again,” Tina mutters, shaking her head. “Why would they target our territory if they’re from Jericho? They should know the lines.”

“They want our attention,” Gavin spits, his expression now shifted into a rather intense glare. “They either wanna fuck with us or they wanna challenge us, and they want our attention.”

Chris huffs out a sigh. “Well, they got it. We should tell boss-man.”

Tina nods silently and turns around, heading to where they had parked their bikes. Chris is quick to follow behind her, but Gavin lingers, studying the graffiti intensely. It strikes a familiar chord, something he can’t quite place, but he swears he’s seen something similar.

As he moves to leave the area, yanking his gloves back on, something across the way catches his attention. Gavin hesitates, glancing over his shoulder at his two companions, before slowly making his way over to a wall across the underpass.

Laying in the gravel, a striking silver contrast against the cream background, is a switchblade with a rich wooden handle. He reaches down and, hesitating only a moment, carefully picks it up to study it. It’s rather nice – expensive and clearly well taken care off. In the wood there’s carved a neat little “9”.

“Huh,” Gavin mutters, turning the blade over. Did it belong to a member of this mysterious “RK” group? Possibly, but—

“Gav!”

Tina’s voice echoes against the cement, startling the man out of his thoughts. “Fuck!” he yelps, stumbling in the gravel. “I’m coming, goddamnit!” Gavin flips the switchblade shut and shoves it into his pocket as he begins to jog in the direction Tina had yelled from. They needed to get out of here, anyways.

-~-

“No, no, I swear I had to have lost it here,” a voice hisses into the night. There’s the faint scrabble of gravel followed by a contentious huff.

“Well, idiot, it’s not here,” another voice, similar to the first but somehow coarser, snaps.

“You two, stop fighting,” a third voice charms in. It’s calmer and much softer than the other two – clearly the levelheaded one amongst the group.

A fist connects with the wall then, glowing blue eyes meeting stormy grey. “It _had_ to have been _here_ ,” the first voice growls.

The owner of the stormy grey eyes rears up, shoulders squaring. “It’s clearly fucking _not_!”

“Stop!” the third voice bellows. Its owner steps forth, illuminated by dim light. His appearance is stern yet young, with large, doe-like brown eyes and soft curls of brown hair. Notably, the led on his temple is swirling a vibrant vermillion. “Please, you two, fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere.” He glances to the first figure and waves a gentle hand. “Nines, is it possible you lost it earlier?”

The first voice – Nines – lets out a rather dramatic sigh. “I… suppose it is possible.” He shifts into the same dim light, revealing a tall, broad stature and fluffy black-brown hair. “I distinctly remember pocketing it that evening, but we did work our way through a good bit of the city. And it’s not in my car.”

That last sentence was clearly directed at the second figure, who merely rolls his eyes and goes to stand next to the doe-eyed android – they’re the same exact height, interestingly enough, with the exact same builds. The only distinct differences are the eye colors and the fact that second figure has closely shaved sides with gelled-back brown curls. “For fucks sake, Nines, you have the best memory of all of us and can’t remember where the fuck you put your switchblade?”

“Sixty!” the brown-eyed android hisses, thumping a fist uselessly against the stormy-eyed android – Sixty.

“What! Con, you can’t be taking his side,” Sixty grouses, throwing his hands up.

“I can, and I _am_ ,” Con grumbles, crossing his arms. “You’re being a dick.”

Sixty snarls, hands balling into fists, but he blessedly remains silent.

Finally, Nines lets out the breath he was holding and runs a hand through his hair, letting the strands flop to one side. “I’m certain it had to have dropped here, which means… Someone must have picked it up.”

“Not like it’s got DNA on it, so no one can find us,” Sixty mutters, towing the ground with his boot. “Least there’s that.”

Con hums softly, nodding. “Thankfully,” he replies. “Who would have been around here to pick up your switchblade, though?”

Silence falls between the three androids. They study the area a bit; though the answer is obvious, none seem to want to voice it.

Finally, Nines lets out another huff. “Central,” he breathes, looking over at the graffiti covered column. Connor follows his gaze, frowning. It makes the most sense and, well, this is what they wanted isn’t it? To make a name for themselves and catch the attention and respect of one of the largest graffiti-focused gangs in all of Detroit. Granted, Nines losing his switchblade has changed the terms of that little meet-up.

Sixty is right, though. There’s no DNA to be found on the knife. Connor supposed, if they really wanted to get into it, that someone in Central could analyze the blade and track down who made the set. He doubted, however, that the group would put that much stock into a random – if expensive – blade, and would most likely not think twice about it.

There’s a disgruntled groan next to him then, and Connor looks over to see Sixty, hands laced behind his head and eyes turned upwards to the concrete construction of the freeway overhead. “Look, man, it’s fuckin’ gone. Which sucks… I don’t know what I’d do if I lost mine, and I’m sorry. Chances are someone in Central nabbed it and, well, they aren’t all idiots so hopefully it’s in good hands.”

Nines makes a forlorn noise and crosses his arms. “Yes, at least there’s that,” he mutters. “Amanda _would_ kill me, if…” He trails off and shakes his head, LED blipping a bright gold momentarily. “We should get out of here.”

“Yes, we should,” Connor supplies, though his tone is soft. To be honest, none of them were handling Amanda’s death in a healthy manner. He had been drowning his sorrows in thirium wine and late nights painting, Sixty was more of an ass than usual and always looking for a fight, and Nines… well, Nines was the whole reason they decided to challenge Central. He had become somewhat… obsessed? No… it wasn’t quite that strong. Enamored was a better word. Either way, he had become somewhat _enamored_ with a member of Central.

To be precise, one Gavin Reed. Apparently, he happened to be a frequent flyer of the same café Nines liked to patronize. Connor wasn’t sure if the two of them had even said one word to each other, and, god, he had no idea how Nines even found out about Reed’s involvement with Central. He knew his brother could be intensely stubborn and determined – he’d spent months bugging him and Sixty to try and reach out to Central in some way – but he had no idea just how far that went and wasn’t quite sure he wanted to find out.

“Con! Get the fuck out your head, we’ve gotta move!” Sixty’s voice echoes against the concrete, and Connor sighs and turns to trudge after his idiot brother. Sixty wouldn’t know subtlety if it smacked him in the face.

-~-

_Schink… clip… schink… clip… schink… clip—_

“Reed!” Fowler’s booming voice jolted Gavin out of his thoughts and he damn near fell off the stool he was precariously perched on. “Stop fucking with that knife, you’re going to drive me insane.”

Gavin cleared his throat nervously and stuffed the switchblade back into his pocket. “Sorry, boss.”

Fowler eyed him for a moment before shaking his head and leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Where’d you even get that? I thought you preferred your guns over a blade.”

Gavin huffed and shrugged, trying to ignore the way that question triggered his defensiveness. “I thought it was cool,” was all he offered, doing his best to keep his tone even. He really didn’t want to get chewed out by Fowler, especially when he was already in a pretty foul mood with the news of a new gang encroaching their territory.

Blessedly, Fowler seemed to let it drop. He made a point of sizing Gavin up once more before turning back to Chris, continuing their prior conversation. Chris, bless him, was such a damn goody-two-shoes at times. He made sure they came right back to base to tell Fowler about what happened. Gavin honestly didn’t think it was that big of a deal – hell, one ruined piece did piss him off, but these were probably just some nobody punks who’d fade back into obscurity when they didn’t get what they were looking for.

‘Sides, they were too damn busy to worry about a small group of nobodies. Chris was just being paranoid. Gavin promptly tuned the conversation out and instead pulled his phone out – discretely, ‘cause Fowler would certainly murder him – to check the time. He tensed instinctively when he saw an unread text. Anyone who might have needed him right now was in this damn room, so who...?

Gritting his teeth, Gavin swiped his notification bar down and felt his blood run cold. Kamski. Fucking Elijah Kamski, his goddamned, god-for-nothing, “Parent’s Favorite Child” (and only child, at this point), stupid fucking step-brother. Why the fuck was he texting Gavin _now_? He was just about to open the message when the door to Fowler’s office swung open and Hank stepped in.

Gavin swiveled on the stool, shoving his phone back into his pocket quickly, and turned his attention to Hank. It was… rare, for him to show up to base in recent years, after the tragic death of his son a few years ago. Hank was second-in-command – had been for a good long time – and it was obvious why he was; though at first glance, if he was just dressed casually, one would have no idea the things this man was capable off.

That thought sent a shiver down Gavin’s spine, and he quickly tore his gaze away from the older man, focusing it back onto the floor. For all intents and purposes, at least it looked like Hank was doing better. Not too long ago he had looked like he was knocking on death’s door, almost always drunk and with worse suicidal tendencies thank Gavin. Fuck, that last police chase, Gavin wasn’t sure he’d make it out alive.

But, then again, that was why Hank was still here, and not demoted or kicked out or anything. He had skills. And – Gavin spared another glance, eyes travelling up Hank’s heavily tattooed forearms to his chest – he had prowess, and intelligence. It also helped that he was hot as fuck, and Gavin wasn’t embarrassed to admit that he had been the bearer of a rather strong crush on Hank. Hell, everyone loved him, and— _fuck_.

Gavin locked eyes with Hank, rich blue meeting jade green, and he quickly yanked his attention away once more, fighting the blush that was claiming his face and neck. Positively mortifying. The chuckle that Hank emitted made him want to absolutely fucking die, and Gavin sunk further into the stool, mouth suddenly dry. He kept his eyes on the floor as Hank went to discuss something quietly with Fowler and, just as quickly as he had come, he was off, heading to god-knows-where. Anything Hank was involved in usually wasn’t privy to Gavin, unless extra hands were needed. Gavin certainly wasn’t low-rank, but he was useful in other areas, and his typical jobs usually didn’t overlap with anything Hank did.

Plus, Gavin was 99.9% sure Hank was involved with the cops somehow – definitely something corrupt and illegal, and it was probably the only reason Hank made it out of that last car chase in one piece the more he thought about it.

Fowler stood up then, clearing his throat. “Right. Well, you all let me know if you see any more signs of this group. At this point, I’m not classifying them a threat. Just keep your eyes and ears out.”

Chris stood and nodded. “Understood, sir,” he replied. Gavin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he hopped off the stool, moving to follow Chris and Tina out of the office.

Their base was rather interesting. It was artfully set-up in a long-abandoned warehouse out in the docks on the Detroit River. It was the main station for Central for as long as Gavin could remember, and as such it was rather impressive on the inside. They had damn near everything they could need, including a small medical bay where they had an actual fucking doctor and a few bunks for anyone to crash their if needed. Gavin did spend a good bit of time here – he was a workaholic, fucking sue him – but he did have to return to his apartment often. Cats, y’know. He was just thinking about how he should go check on them when Tina elbowed him. He turned to her and immediately recognized the mischievous look on her face.

“Wanna go get shitfaced?” she asked, acting too innocent for the havoc they’d probably eventually cause.

Gavin took a moment to mock-contemplate before a grin broke out on his face. “Uh, fuck yea I do.” He pulled his phone out, readying himself to text his neighbor to “ _pls pls pls feed the cats, work is makin me stay late xx_ ” when he saw the lingering text notification. It made him freeze for a moment, but he shook his head. Later-most-likely-hungover-Gavin can deal with that.

-~-

“This is a bad idea, you two,” Connor quips, sipping his wine, eyeing his two idiotic brothers who have engaged in a rather intense arm wrestle. “One of you is going to break something, and this is my favorite bar.”

“Lighten up, dick, you _own_ this damn place, you wouldn’t kick your baby brothers out for starting shit,” Sixty snaps, jabbing his brother with his free hand. “I will win this, I don’t give a fuck if you’re ‘ _more advanced_ ’, Niners.”

“I’ve told you not to call me that,” Nines replies calmly, sipping his whiskey. He’s obviously treating this arm wrestle like a joke, not at all invested, whereas Sixty looks like he might start producing steam from his ears at any moment with the sheer amount of exertion he’s showing. “I _am_ the superior model, and I _will_ win.”

“Eat my fucking ass,” Sixty snarls in reply.

Nines only rolls his eyes and goes back to people watching, ignoring Connor’s aggrieved huff. This continues on for a few moments longer when something catches Nines’s attention. He immediately zeroes in and lets out a startled breath when he feels the back of his hand connect with the table. It rips his attention away and he stares at his and Sixty’s hands, flattened to the table, before he slowly looks up at his older brother.

Sixty, of course, looks like the fucking cat that ate the canary. He’s puffed up, face absolutely glowing. “Got you, dumbass,” he purrs, and the grin that pulls at his lips makes Nines want to punch him. And he almost does, when a certain laugh catches his attention and he jumps instead, almost dropping his glass.

“Fuck!” he hisses, thumping back into the booth, as if to sink into it.

Connor and Sixty share a look before they regard their younger brother quizzically. “What is it?” they both ask, which results in Sixty snickering and muttering, “same brain cell.”

Nines glares at his brothers and sips his whiskey angrily, eyes roving the crowd. “He’s here,” is all he offers, rather cryptically.

Connor and Sixty share yet another look before realization dawns on Connor’s face. “Wait, _him_ , him? Gavin Reed?” He keeps his voice low, LED spinning rapidly.

It only takes a millisecond before Sixty is also caught on, turning to look at Nines, a look on his face that Connor can’t quite place. “Aw, you mean your little crush?” he jibes, and from the immediate grimace, it’s obvious Nines has kicked him under the table.

“Shut the _fuck_ up, Six,” Nines growls, tearing his attention away from the patrons for a moment to glower at his annoying brother. Sixty, for once, chooses to remain silent, raising his hands in mock-defense. “Yes, _that_ ‘him’. I heard him laugh, it’s definitely him.”

Connor leans forward, analyzing the crowd, doing his best to pick out who it could possibly be. “How do you even know what his laugh sounds like?”

At that, a faint blush appears on Nines’s face, tinging his cheeks blue. “He, uh… he laughed at something a barista said the other day.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Nines. A little obsessed, much?” Sixty mutters in between mouthfuls of beer.

Nines ignores him, however, eyes widening momentarily as he finally spots Gavin. The man is at the bar with a woman, who’s information is immediately pulled up in Nines’s database. Tina Chen, 34, also a member of Central, multiple arrest records, no active warrants.

Connor seems to finally spot Gavin as well and he leans forward a touch more, taking a sip of his wine. “Really?” he says after a moment. “He’s the one that you have been all hot-and-bothered over?”

There’s a disgruntled huff that emanates from the younger android, and he nudges Connor slightly. “I have _not_ been ‘ _hot-and-bothered_ ’ over Reed, you ass. It’s professional curiosity. His record is pristine, despite having been in Central since he was sixteen. Over twenty years in and no criminal record. It’s highly impressive.” He pauses to nod at Tina, eyes flicking between Connor and Sixty momentarily. “As opposed to his friend there, who’s been in almost as long and has a rather extensive list.”

Sixty lets out a contemplative hum and sits back, crossing his arms. “Okay, that is impressive. But he’s probably just an underdog, nothing major.”

“Wrong,” Nines replies, and the tone in his voice is almost too proud. “He’s pretty high ranking, actually. The actual structure of Central is unknown to anyone outside of the group, but from what I was able to find, Reed is typically running certain operations and is at the forefront of many others.”

“Like tagging,” Sixty supplies sarcastically, shaking his head. “Fuck, so he’s a top-dog artist with a clean record. That’s not special, most artists don’t have major records. Nines, I don’t fucking get you.”

A frustrated growl slips between Nines’s sharp teeth and he narrows his eyes at Sixty. “He’s not _just_ an artist. He runs Central’s entire artillery operation.”

Sixty pales slightly at that, eyebrows arching. “How the fuck you find that out?”

“I have my ways,” the younger android supplies, the second cryptic answer of the night. For what it’s worth, this amount pales in comparison to his usual cryptic antics.

He’s serious about this, Connor realizes. And from what he’s hearing, he understands why. Nines wants to get close to Central, so they can help them take down Jericho. It’s a sensible move, and Gavin is an easy in, plus he’s a rather impressive person altogether it seems. Granted…

“Well, go talk to him then,” is past his lips before he’s even fully decided on it. Ice blue eyes are on him in an instant, their owners face dusted a light blue.

“Have we finally driven you insane?” Nines breathes. “Have you finally absolutely lost the plot?”

“No, no,” Sixty butts in. “He’s got a point. ‘Sides, it beats staring at him all night.”

“No,” the younger android huffs, aghast. “Absolutely not!”

“Coward,” Sixty negs, sneering at Nines.

This time, it’s Connor’s turn to kick him under the table. “Stop it, for the millionth time, you two. Nines does not have to approach him if he does not want to – it was merely a suggestion. Furthermore, we _do_ need to be smart about this. If we really want to work with them, and get their help, we need to handle this carefully and intelligently.”

Sixty stares blankly at the older android, stormy eyes narrowed. Connor knows that look – he’s listening, as he always is, but absolutely not taking in anything. And, sure enough – as if he knew he had a point to prove – he turns back to Nines with an almost manic expression and blurts out, “go hit on him.”

“No, _no_!” Connor gasps, almost fumbling his wine. “I said _talk_ to him, innocently. Do not _hit_ on him!”

“I am not doing either!”

“So, what, you’re just gonna ogle him all night? Fuck, Nines, grow a spine,” Sixty spits, standing up. “I, meanwhile, see a fine piece of ass that I am most definitely taking home tonight. Your move, losers.” And with that, he saunters off, heading towards the other side of the bar.

Connor lets out a breath, shaking his head. “Goddamnit,” he mutters. “What is wrong with him?”

“Well,” Nines begins, shifting to glance at Connor. “You _did_ shoot him.”

“It was an accident!” Connor cries out, lunging forward to swat at Nines. “He learned the hard way not to fuck with me when I’m cleaning my guns!”

Nines laughs, avoiding Connor’s reach, and settles back into the booth. His eyes pick out Gavin once again, and he settles for spending the rest of the night subtly watching the intriguing man.

-~-

It’s on their third round of drinks when Tina notices him. How could she not, though? For starters, the man – android, she corrects, when she spots the LED – is gorgeous. Pale skin, dark hair, bright eyes. Not her type, but certainly Gavin’s. Well… Except for the whole android-thing.

However, she notes, the strange android seems to be watching Gavin very inconspicuously. It’s certainly not obvious to anyone else in the bar, but Tina has spent enough time being a good pair of eyes that she recognizes the tell. He’s not familiar, though… not a part of Jericho, from what she can remember. Besides, Jericho avoided this bar like the plague. She wasn’t sure why that was, though, other than the fact that she and Gavin liked to pop in on occasion.

Speaking of, Tina nudges Gavin slightly, and makes a small motion with her hand that the strange android shouldn’t be able to see – not unless he has X-Ray vision, or some crazy shit like that. “Don’t wanna alarm you, Gav,” she starts, keeping her voice low. Hopefully, the android also can’t hear her over the din of the crowded bar. “But you’ve got an admirer.”

Gav tenses almost imperceptibly, but he scans her face for any signs of impending danger before he relaxes. “Recognize them?”

“No,” Tina replies, swallowing a mouthful of her beer. “He’s not in Jericho, as far as I’m aware.”

Gavin hums in thought, swirling the whiskey around in his glass. “Android?” She nods, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, watching Gavin’s expression morph into slight disdain. “The fuck is it watching me for, then.”

Tina shrugs, glancing back over at the strange android. “No idea,” she begins, and then immediately freezes as realization dawns on her.

Gavin catches on to her discomfort right away, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “What?” he questions, shifting to lean a bit more on the bar. He wants to look so badly – size the fucker up, decide if he could take the damn thing – but he knows it would be a stupid move, especially when he hears Tina’s answer.

“RK,” she breathes, hiding her trepidation behind a long drink of her beer. Her fingers itch for a smoke, and she wonders if herding Gavin outside would be too suspicious at this point.

“No fucking way,” Gavin mutters, shaking his head. “We have no idea who the fuck they are. Just ‘cause some random android is watching me, that doesn’t mean shit.”

Tina shakes her head at that, frowning. “It just seems… too coincidental to just be a coincidence, if that makes sense?” She runs a hand through her hair, fluffing it up. She’ll have to touch up her undercut soon, she notes absentmindedly. “I’ve never seen any android that looks like them, certainly not in Jericho’s archive. He looks like the type to be involved in shady shit, too.”

“That doesn’t mean anything, and you know it,” Gavin huffs.

“Call it a gut instinct,” Tina replies quickly. “Something is definitely up with him. Even if it’s not RK, it’s something.”

Gavin grumbles, taking another swig of his whiskey, polishing off the glass. “Just keep an eye on it, yea, Tee?” he requests, turning to the bartender to request a refill.

Tina remains silent, but she does nod in response, still wondering if it would be too suspicious to go for a smoke. It’s not like their watcher has caught onto the fact that she’s aware of him, but still… Play it cool. It’s a normal night, nothing’s happening, they’re here to unwind and get drunk. Everything’s totally fine. She does, however, decide to keep tabs on the android’s every move. He’s sitting with another android, one who’s similar in appearance but different in many ways. He actually looks less conspicuous, with fewer piercings and visible tattoos. So, maybe… Maybe she’s mistaken, but her gut instinct is usually never wrong about things like this.

She’s only brought out of her mind when an elbow nudges her and her empty beer bottle is lifted off it’s coaster and a new one is promptly deposited in its place. “Tee, you’re sketching me out,” Gavin mutters, grabbing his newly-filled glass. “Seriously.”

“Sorry,” Tina replies, moving to grab her new bottle. “S’just, y’know, he’s really into watching you. I’ve barely seen his eyes leave you.”

Gavin rolls his eyes at that, shaking his head. He has, however, felt the unmistakable presence of eyes burning into his back for quite some time now, and it’s beginning to sketch him out. Talk about being inconspicuous – if this fucker really is RK, then they were vastly overestimating their abilities. No one in their right damn mind would stare at Gavin fuckin’ Reed for that long if they even had an inkling of who he is.

Eventually, he says fuck it, and swivels to lean back on the bar, propping his elbows up on it, glass of whiskey gripped between his fingertips. It’s a casual enough move, despite its speed, that makes him look like he’s just switching his position. However, it gives him exactly what he was seeking; Gavin locks eyes with this mysterious android, and promptly feels his mouth run dry.

Holy… fuckin’… _shit_. Talk about walking wet-dream. Gavin, in all his – albeit very limited – knowledge of androids, has certainly _never_ seen one like this. Nor like the other one who’s also sitting, ignoring the rest of the bar and scanning over a tablet in one hand as it sips from an overly full glass of wine in the other hand. This one, however – the one he locks eyes with… The one who… hasn’t looked away?

“What the fuck,” Gavin hisses through clenched teeth, but he also doesn’t look away. He’s never been one to backdown from a challenge, and he’s not about to start now – common sense be damned. The android, for what it’s worth, has the presence of mind to at least look somewhat sheepish. He – it, _it_ lifts a hand and gives a coy wave and sly smile, before turning to pick up another discarded tablet on the tabletop.

There’s an elbow in his side then, and Gavin lets out a muffled grunt, turning to glare at Tina. She’s looking up at him, a cross between flabbergasted and frustrated, eyebrows knitted together. “What are you _doing_?” she growls, tapping the bottom of her beer bottle against the bar. “Are you seriously starting shit with some unknown android?”

Gavin glowers at her, taking a mouthful of whiskey. “The fuckin’ android started it,” he mutters petulantly, much to Tina’s complete exasperation.

-~-

It’s well past the point any normal bar should be closed, but knowing his brother, Connor never really cared for silly laws like “curfew” and “cut-off times”. For all intents and purposes, his bar was usually one of the quieter ones at least; it was rare that any sort of kerfuffle happened, and when it did, Connor was usually quick to handle the issue – however the issue needed handling.

Despite the late hour, as well, the bar was still relatively busy. A majority of the patrons had petered out around 2am, but many still lingered in quiet corners of the bar, including Gavin Reed and Tina Chen. Nines had almost overheated in the booth when he and Gavin had locked eyes. It had been a complete honest accident; he hadn’t expected the gangster to pull a move as smooth as that, and he also hadn’t realized he’d even been noticed. Clearly, Tina Chen was a better set of eyes than he anticipated.

But, fuck, what even was that reaction? A stupid wave and smile. Holy fuck, he was an idiot. Certainly not the way he actually wanted to catch Gavin’s attention, by being more unaware than he had ever been and thus absolutely panicking. He was usually a lot more suave then that, but, as he should have expected, Gavin caught him off guard. It was only the blessing of some unknown deity that Connor didn’t notice, having been too engrossed in going over statements, grumbling something about how expensive it was getting to maintain a popular bar in this part of town.

Nines found his eyes drawn back to Gavin and Tina. They had made themselves comfy in a somewhat secluded booth across the bar, clearly discussing something important, judging from their drawn-in postures and hushed towns. Thankfully, it seemed like Gavin hadn’t paid him any more attention after catching him staring, though he had no doubt that Tina was most likely keeping a close eye on their table at this point – especially since they were one of the last groups in the building.

 _Maybe_ , he thought, shifting his position to cross one leg over another, _it might be smarter to separate from Connor and let him handle closing up tonight_. It would hopefully lessen suspicion of the two of them being involved in any sort of operation, and would allow Nines to escape as gracefully into the night as possible and nurse his bruised ego back at home.

The more he thought about it, the more it started to sound like the best idea. With a sigh, Nines knocked back the rest of his whiskey and shifted forward, leaning against the table. “I think I’m going to take off,” he starts, doing his best to sound casual.

Connor barely lifts his gaze from the tablet in his hand, only minimally arching an eyebrow. “Alright,” is all the older android offers, taking a sip from the never-deplenished glass of wine in his hand.

Nines can’t help but roll his eyes as he pushes himself from his seat, dropping the empty glass on the bar top. Connor was becoming a lot more involved in the finances since Amanda… well, since he started trying to handle everything at once. It was admirable, but it resulted in him being rather engrossed in his own mind lately – not a good look for a solo, essentially leaderless gang. Connor was the most experienced and levelheaded out of the three of them, so of course most responsibilities would fall to him, but… sometimes it felt like he was focusing on the wrong ones. Money certainly wasn’t a concern at this point, and yet here he was griping about overhead from one of their many bars.

Whatever. It offered Nines an easy out, which he graciously took. Stepping into the cool night air, he paused to take a deep – albeit unnecessary – breath, feeling the chill fill his artificial lungs. He’d parked his car in the back of the building, out of the way of the usual crowd. It was a safety measure, to keep a potentially noticeable vehicle off of the main streets. However, the walk to the back of the building was a bit of dark and lonely one, down a long alleyway that was bordered by a chain link fence, and—

A hand grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back against the chain link fence, ripping him around to face whoever his assaulter was. Nines’s guard was immediately on the defense, hand going to the usual spot his knife was kept in, only to remember just a moment too late that it wasn’t there. That shot a jolt of panic through him as he realized he was defenseless; he’d left his gun in his car, having felt safe enough at the bar to not need it, and now… _Fuck_.

“Looking for this?”

There’s a flash of metal and Nines’s eyes finally fully focused on his attacker. “Fuck,” he breathes out, coming to terms with the fact that he is now staring at none other than Gavin Reed. He glances down, making note of the fact that Gavin’s hand is resting on the pistol strapped to his thigh. He lets his eyes slowly trail back up, fingers curling around the chain link. “Well, I had hoped we’d meet under better circumstances.”

Gavin snarls at that, fisting his hand in Nines’s shirt and pushing him further into the fence. “Who are you, and what the fuck do you want?”

Nines lets out a soft sigh, shaking his head. “I am not your enemy,” he tries, mind flying through a multitude of ways to settle the situation and assuage Gavin that he means no harm. “My name is Nines. I work with my brothers, Sixty and Connor. And I believe that you… may be able to help us.” He tilts his head in towards Gavin a touch, giving him another once over, reading his vitals. The man’s heart rate is fast, blood pressure spiked, clear signs of adrenaline. “Please, I—”

“Help with what?” Gavin spits out, cutting the android off. His knuckles are digging uncomfortably into Nines’s chest; where the other human, he’d probably end up with bruises.

Nines takes a steadying breath and lets it out slowly. “To take down Jericho,” he replies, tone measured.

That works. It immediately disarms Gavin, his eyebrows shooting up as his grip on Nines’s shirt slackens somewhat. “You’re not fuckin’ serious.”

He can’t help it – Nines lets out a little chuckle, a thin smile pulling up the corners of his lips. “I am very serious,” he starts, tilting his head a touch more, eyes almost pleading at this point. Maybe turning on some charm would help, he thinks, as he makes a point to bat his eyelashes a tiny bit.

“ _Why_ the fuck?” Gavin demands, though his tone is a lot less hostile. Instead, he sounds almost a touch perplexed, and furthermore – though he’d never admit it – this damn android is too pretty and lifelike for his own good. It’s both disquieting and calming in a rather unharmonious manner, and it stirs something mildly uncomfortable in the pit of Gavin’s stomach.

Nines lets out another little huff, shaking his head once more. “There are… lots of reasons. We can discuss more of them with my brother, Connor, as he’s… Well, I suppose you can say he’s spearheading this little operation now.”

Gavin finally lets go of his shirt, stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest. He sizes up Nines, studying the android now that he has the opportunity to get a good look. He’s tall and, surprisingly, well-built both… literally and metaphorically, Gavin supposes. Fuck, now that he’s face to face with him, he’s actually fuckin’ hot and no, no, _no_. He’s not going there. He’s not a goddamned robo-fucker. He rips his eyes back up to meet the ice blue ones and lets out a frustrated little growl at the coy expression he sees. “ _Fine_ ,” he hisses. “We can talk. Enemy of my enemy is my fuckin’ friend and all that shit.”

The look that takes over Nines’s face, one of gratitude and elation, makes Gavin’s heart skip a damn beat. “Great,” the android practically purrs, pushing himself off the chain link to hover a touch closer. Gavin hates that he has to look up, but at least the view is worth it. “We can go inside and talk to my brother now, if you want?”

The gangster contemplates that for a second, checking his phone, pointedly ignoring the still unread text from Elijah. It’s only 4am, the night is still young, so… “Yea, fuck, fine. Let’s go,” he mutters, shoving his phone back into his pocket and motioning for Nines to take the lead.


	2. Fragile Tension

-~-

“There's something magical in the air

Something so tragic we had to care”

Fragile Tension – Depeche Mode

-~-

_A couple weeks later…_

Nines lets out a soft sigh, dropping the tablet down onto the oak desk unceremoniously, not even flinching at the loud ‘ _thunk_ ’ that emanates through the expansive room. Both Connor and Sixty also have no reaction, too engrossed in their respective work to pay him any attention – not that he expected them to react.

However, the man lounging in the plush office chair drops his feet off of said oak desk to glare at Nines. “Dude,” Gavin hisses. “Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?”

The android can’t help but roll his eyes as he leans against the desk, palms stretching across the surface. “Please,” Nines teases, studying Gavin carefully, ignoring the surge of electricity that tingles at the base of his spine. “You’ve been around… how many guns? I highly doubt that actually startled you.”

With a huff, Gavin sets his own tablet down and continues to glare at Nines, doing his best to keep his attention focused on his face and not let his eyes sweep down the lithe figure. “That, I’m expecting. However, you getting pissy and dropping a tablet on the table I was _not_ expecting.” He’s still scowling, but there’s a playful twinkle in his green eyes that starts a fire in the pit of Nine’s stomach.

“I did not get pissy, and I’m offended you--“

“Would you two _stop flirting_?” Sixty suddenly growls. The older android has taken up residence in his usual spot, cross-legged on the concrete floor butted up against the wall. It’s a weird spot to be, especially considering he now has to glower up at both Gavin and Nines, but it’s always been his go-to.

Nines can’t help it – his cheeks flush a light blue and he nearly swallows his tongue in a hasty attempt to respond. “We’re not flirting!”

“Definitely not flirting!” Gavin starts, glancing up at Nines quickly before averting his attention back to the tablet by his hand. Hell no, he is _not_ flirting with an android. It’s a fucking miracle he even agreed to work with them, honestly. Really, he told himself, it’s because they shared a common goal and would be useful to Central. That was _really_ all it was. Certainly not a certain pair of bright blue puppy-dog eyes… He clears his throat then, doing his best to appear nonchalant as he picks the tablet back up and aimlessly scrolls through the information displayed. “So, what is your overall goal here? You’re all androids, shouldn’t you all have similar desires in mind? Is it something Amanda wanted?”

The sudden lack of silence and the way the air seems to settle heavily makes Gavin look back up from the tablet, eyes flicking between the three androids. Connor’s expression is the most obvious. His head is bowed, a pained expression knitting his eyebrows together. Sixty is glaring at nothing, and Nines… Nines is standing tense, arms wrapped around his torso, eyes on the floor. Gavin swallows thickly, wondering what the fuck he just bumbled his way into.

After another moment, Nines lets out a soft sigh and turns to look at Gavin, steeling his expression. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, a phone rings, making them all jump. “ _Fuck_ ,” Gavin hisses, fumbling through his pockets to find his cell. The caller ID makes his blood run cold – Eli. Again. He stands up and paces a few feet to the direction of the door, before turning back around, locking eyes specifically with Nines. “I’m sorry, I… yea, I should take this, I’ll be right back.”

Nines watches as Gavin practically backpedals out the door, most likely heading out to the balcony for privacy. He lets out another sigh and shakes his head, leaning back against the desk. He hadn’t expected Gavin to really question their motives, though of course it was only in his nature to be suspicious. But… he wasn’t sure if they were all ready to tell an outsider about Amanda, and what happened in the past that set them on this path.

It’s Sixty’s turn to leave then, shoving himself to his feet and depositing his tablet on the end table by the couch Connor is sitting on. “Yea, too much emotion, I’m out of here,” he mutters, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket and promptly fleeing the room. Nines and Connor both watch him retreat, frowning.

The silence lingers for a moment longer before Connor shifts and gets to his feet, grabbing Sixty’s deposited tablet and putting it back on the desk with his own. He turns to Nines then, crossing his arms as he studies the younger android. “So,” he starts, and Nines braces himself for whatever is coming. “What _is_ going on between you and Gavin?”

Nines bites his tongue immediately, but he can’t quite quell the flush of blue that claims his face as he averts his gaze to the ground. “Nothing,” he answers, and it’s an honest answer if not a short one.

Obviously, Connor doesn’t buy it. The older android clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “Look, I know you, Nines. There’s definitely something going on, at least one-sidedly. Are you really attracted to him?”

“I…” Nines heaves a deep breath and covers his face with his hands, muffling the low groan that escapes him. God, he really did not want to have this conversation.

-~-

“No, Elijah, I am not helping you. I’m done talking about it,” Gav snaps into his phone. He’s standing on the balcony of the large penthouse the RK androids reside in. He had no idea where the hell they got the money, but it was damned nice. Shit, the other balcony on the other side of the penthouse had a damn pool.

There’s a long, pained sigh from the speaker on Gavin’s phone. “Gav, you know I don’t want to continue with this… _lifestyle_ of yours. We could be business partners!”

“ _No_ ,” Gavin hisses. Without giving Elijah another chance to reply, he rips his phone away from his ear and ends the call. “For fuck’s sake.” He takes a minute to steady himself, debating having a smoke but eventually deciding against it. He should get back in there anyways, they weren’t done discussing their potential infiltration of Jericho.

Gavin turns on his heels and makes his way back into the penthouse and towards the large office doors. He swings one open unceremoniously but pauses as he catches one word— “…attracted.” It’s followed by the sudden silence of people discussing something they didn’t want someone else to hear. He looks between the two androids suspiciously, eyebrow raised.

Connor is shaking his head, though there’s a knowing look on his face and a small smirk. Nines, meanwhile, is intensely focused on the tablet in his hand, though there’s a faint flush of blue across his cheeks. With a huff, Gavin crosses his arms, eyes narrowing.

“Alright, what the fuck did I walk in on?”

Connor is quick to answer, striding over to him and patting Gavin on the shoulder. “You’ll want to discuss that with Nines, there. Good luck.” He punctuates that last sentence with a wink and then promptly hightails it out of the room, leaving Gavin standing rather dumbfoundedly. He looks back over at Nines and swears the android looks like he’s shaking.

Gavin remains in the same spot for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. The tension is so thick, but it’s electrifying, and god he can’t help but think how pretty the blue blush is across Nines’s face. He’s quick to shake the thought from his mind, however, and cautiously approaches the desk that Nines is sat at. Leaning on it, and doing his best to feign casualty, he finally settles on changing the topic in hopes of calming the android down. “Sorry about that phone call.”

For what it’s worth, that does seem to disarm the android. He sighs softly and finally sets the tablet down, bright blue eyes flicking up to meet stormy green. “It’s fine,” Nines murmurs, sitting back slightly. “Is everything alright?”

With a huff, Gavin shrugs his shoulders slightly. “Yea, s’fine. Just… my idiot stepbrother wants me to be his business partner.”

Nines looks slightly surprised by that, eyebrows raising. “That sounds like it could be a good thing?”

“My stepbrother is Elijah fucking Kamski,” Gavin hisses, eyes narrowing.

If it were possible, Nines is sure he would have visibly paled. “Oh,” he breathes, sitting back in plush office chair. “Well.”

Gavin leans slightly closer when Nines moves back, though it’s a subconscious movement more than anything. “Yea,” he mutters, eyes flicking back down to the tablet that’s resting on the desk. “He’s… a lot.”

“I can imagine,” Nines replies. “Would you want to talk about it?”

“No, I…” Gavin huffs, shaking his head. “Not really. Just wish I had the types of brothers you do, honestly.” He looks back up at Nines, studying the curious expression on the android’s face. It’s funny, he thinks, that an android has a better family than he does. It probably would have irritated him more a couple weeks back, but after getting to know the RK’s… he’s more envious than anything.

Gavin is rocked out of his train of thought by Nines tilting his head back and laughing softly. It’s a sound he’s never heard before, and it… _does_ something to him. “Oh, please, you definitely have not seen the full extent of our… relationships, I guess you can say. It’s not always great, and we all have vastly different wants and desires.” He moves back to lean on the desk, setting his elbows on the surface. It’s a bold move, and it closes the distance between the two of them quite a lot, but Gavin doesn’t move away.

Nines is, at this close distance, privy to see the multitude of small scars flecked across the man’s face. He also gets to see his expression shift clearly, eyebrows knitting together as he slightly tilts his head. “That makes me wonder,” Gavin murmurs, “do you even want to take down Jericho?”

It’s a startling question, and one that makes Nines pause immediately. “I…” He frowns slightly, eyes flicking away for a moment, before he decides to answer honestly. “No, it’s not at the forefront of my concerns. But it is for Connor, as he’s always followed Amanda’s wishes to a T. And the dismantling of Jericho is something she desperately wished for before she…” He clicks his teeth together and shakes his head, not feeling too keen on going much farther. Discussing Amanda’s death was still a sore spot for all of them.

“About that,” Gavin begins, lowering his tone to be just above a whisper. “It’s pretty clear bringing Amanda up is a rough topic of discussion. Sorry about that too.”

“It’s fine,” Nines replies, a faint smile pulling up the corners of his lips. “It’s just… difficult. She was here one day, and the next, she was wasting away in a hospital with stage four lung cancer. It… it really fucked us up.” There’s a wetness to Nines’s voice as he says the last sentence, eyes dropping to the desk as he brings a hand up to run through his hair.

Gavin reaches out carefully, his hand finding Nines’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He’s blown away by how much give there is; he half expected android bodies to be rigid and unyielding. Doing his best to file that piece of information into a not-inappropriate mental folder and immediately failing, Gavin swallows hard and gives another gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he says softly.

Nines nods, bringing his hand up to cover Gavin’s, though he keeps his head tilted down for a moment. The touch feels static charged, and Gavin is both awed and somewhat horrified as the skin on Nines’s hand seems to dissolve away, revealing the black chassis and faint blue glow beneath it. He’s also surprised to note that Nines is _warm_ ; it’s not an unpleasant sensation in the least, but it had been another fact he had clearly never paid any attention to.

They stay like that for a moment longer, before Nines clears his throat and drops his hand away, looking back up at Gavin. His eyes are a touch glassy, and it only serves to make the blue tint glow even more. Gavin is absolutely enraptured by them, and… _aw, fuck_. Attracted. He does his best not to jump away, startled, but he does pull his hand away quickly and brace himself on the desk. “I, uh,” he tries, and then finally looks away and clears his throat. “Anyways, uh… If you don’t like Connor’s idea why not talk to him about it? I mean, it’s not like I personally hold any grudges against Jericho. They and Central have established a harmonious relationship, honestly.”

Nines huffs out a breath and crosses his arms over the top of the desk. “Trust me, I’ve tried. But Connor is… he’s dead set. And he’s stubborn.”

Gavin chuckles at that, rolling his eyes. “Yea, I’ve noticed,” he murmurs, finally looking back at the android. He takes a minute to study him, and by god he can’t tell if the tension is just from the topic at hand or if there is something quite different brewing beneath the service.

Silence lingers between them for a moment, and sure enough that tension has a sexual charge to it. Gavin can feel it in the way the pit of his stomach seems to coil, a wave of heat shooting straight to the base of his cock, as he regards Nines. The android seems to feel it too, his eyes narrowed and glowing, lips slightly parted. They remain like that for maybe just a bit too long, an apprehensive buildup of ‘ _What next_?’ taking over both of their minds. Gavin is suddenly faced with the fact that, yes, Nines _is_ a very attractive ‘bot, and Gavin is… definitely very attracted. He’s certain Nines feels the same way, judging by the expression on his face, and the waft of desire radiating from him that he can practically feel.

Gavin swallows thickly, eyes taking in almost every inch of Nines’s face, lingering maybe a touch too long on his lips. “Wanna get a drink?” he asks quickly, eyes flicking back up to meet Nines’s. If he was doing this, he needed a drink – something to set his nerves and make sure he doesn’t back out because he’s pretty fucking sure he’d regret not acting on this later.

“Absolutely,” Nines replies softly.

-~-

This… is the most awkward either Nines or Gavin have probably ever felt.

They are perched at the bar top in Connor’s bar, having agreed on the location as it’s a safe place for the both of them, and away from any prying eyes. It’s getting late, and with it being a weekday, the bar is also mostly cleared out – something they’re both thankful for.

Gavin’s only on his second beer, and it’s doing nothing to quell the excited anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He’s never felt anything like this; sure, he’s had lots of lovers and many more quick fucks, but something about this connection felt… so much different. It was startling, too. Gavin wasn’t _attracted_ to androids, but Nines was magnetizing. He – and Connor and Sixty as well – were nothing like the Cyberlife androids, even the deviated ones. Nines felt… somehow more alive, despite looking much different from the cookie cutter Cyberlife androids and being, well, much more obviously an android.

Still the attraction is undeniable. Gavin had felt it the first night he’d met Nines, and it was clear the android was into him as well, though doing his best to keep it hidden. However, there was that conversation he had walked in on, and it might be a good starting point if he was really doing this.

Oh fuck, was he really _doing_ this?

Nines shifts against him, and he’s acutely aware of how close they’re sitting as their shoulders brush, to grab ahold of his glass and sip his thirium based whiskey. It’s an odd drink, as it still retains its bright blue color, but it smells strongly of alcohol. Gavin had questioned it at first, and Nines had simply said that the color was kept to have an obvious differentiation between android-focused drinks and human ones.

There’s more movement as Nines sets the glass down and leans even closer, their shoulders pushing together, as he brings a hand to rest on Gavin’s bicep. “Are you alright? You’ve been pretty quiet.” His voice comes out a few octaves lower than normal, and that sparks an intense wave of desire through Gavin. He’s been sitting half-mast this entire time, but hearing that tone forces a rush of blood away from his head and straight to his cock, making him almost lightheaded.

“Yea,” he manages, taking a swig of his beer before turning to focus his full attention on the android next to him. “So… what conversation did I walk in on between you and Connor?”

Nines flushes faintly and looks away a moment, before slowly drawing his eyes back up to Gavin’s face, though they linger on his lips briefly. “I’m sure you can guess,” he practically purrs, eyes once again half-lidded. His thirium pump is beating a mile a minute, and his wires are twisted into multiple knots of anxiety. This is… out of his realm, very much so, but he’s never wanted anything more.

Thankfully, Gavin lets out a low chuckle and tilts his head, eyes scanning Nines’s face. “I have my suspicions,” he murmurs, pausing a moment to watch as Nines’s tongue darts out of from behind his parted lips to run along his bottom lip, and Gavin feels his blood run cold for the second time that day as he realizes the android’s tongue is pierced. The revelation immediately conjures up a phantom sensation of said tongue running up the shaft of his cock. Would that mouth be as warm and wet as it appears? “ _Fuck_.”

Nines huffs out a little laugh and presses in slightly closer, eyes twinkling and full of lust. “I’ll admit that my initial intentions to seek you out were purely… business related, but the more I had learned about you the more I… became attracted to you,” he admits slowly. It’s taking everything in him not to deny further and bolt out of the bar, but the want he’s feeling, coupled with the intense arousal, is clouding his mind. The whiskey certainly isn’t helping either.

“That was obvious,” Gavin half-whispers, finally turning himself to fully face Nines. A tentative hand settles on the android’s thigh and slides up slowly, feeling the smooth – and warm – leather beneath his hand. Nines makes no move to stop him, though anticipation floods his system as the hand inches closer. “Have you ever…?”

The question is open-ended, but Nines already knows what he’s getting at. He nods slowly, his legs parting as that hand slowly dips between them. “Only a handful of times, and yes, I am—” His breath hitches as the hand coasts over his straining cock, a teasing whisper of pressure. “F-fully equipped.”

Gavin lets out a hum of appreciation, his wandering hand now slipping beneath the hem of the turtleneck Nines is wearing. “I see that.” He tears his eyes away from the magical expression on Nines’s face to scour the bar, taking only a second to find what he’s looking for. “Bathroom,” he states, nodding his head in direction of the bathroom door.

Nines eyes widen somewhat, glancing over at the door, before he lets out the apparent breath he’s been holding and nods. He gets up just a moment later, pausing to slug down the rest of his whiskey – and waiting as Gavin does the same to his beer – before he takes Gavin’s hand and leads him in the direction of the restroom, doing his best not to seem overeager.

Fuck, they really were _doing this_.


	3. Bang

-~-

“Soaked in sin,

Baptized by your kiss and now I'm born again

Bite your lip,

Wrap my hands around your head and pull you in”

BANG – Armchair Cynics

-~-

The door to the bathroom creaks open, revealing a single stall, a couple urinals, and a counter of sinks. It’s standard affair for a bar, with dim lighting and a faint scent of beer. It’s also clean, which is more than Gavin can say for any of the other bathroom’s he’s fucked someone in.

There’s a click from behind him as Nines locks the door, and he glances over his shoulder, catching the heavy-lidded lust-filled expression on the android’s face. It’s almost discombobulating, seeing such a human expression on such an otherworldly looking figure – but, Gavin supposes, it’s that exact dichotomy that attracts him even more to Nines.

“Connor will kill me if he finds out about this,” Nines whispers, and there’s a crackling edge to his voice, lacing it with heady need.

Gavin can’t help the grin, even as his cock strains against the zipper of his jeans so much it’s beginning to hurt. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” he replies, before pushing Nines back towards the counter. He’s moved quite easily, bumping against the counter and gripping it with his hands tightly, as though he were drunk and might tip over at any given moment. “Having trouble standing?”

Nines rolls his eyes, bright blue flashing upward, before they focus back on Gavin, a pointed expression on his face. “It’s hard to stand when the leather pants you’re wearing are so tight they cut directly into anything… sensitive.”

Gavin quirks an eyebrow, and then lets his eyes sweep downwards, hungrily taking in the full form of the android standing before him and making a point to practically devour the outline of a thick member pressing against constricting leather. “Then maybe I should get you out of those.”

“ _Please_ ,” escapes Nines, a keening whine that sets Gavin’s nerves on fire. That’s all he needs, acting quick as he converges on the android, hands flying to his waist to pull at the elastic band of the leather pants.

Nines’s hands match Gavin’s in their franticness as he tugs at the button of Gavin’s jeans, giving a slight huff of frustration when they don’t automatically come undone. Quickly, though, he’s got the button popped open and the zipper shortly follows. Gavin lets out a gasp as Nine’s hand dips into his underwear, easily finding his cock and stroking it as his other hand pulls down his boxers.

Having loosened the elastic band of Nines’s leather pants made it much easier for him to shimmy the rest of the way out of them, kicking both them and his boots to the side and not even caring where they end up. He presses himself back against the counter, head tilting back as Gavin’s hand wraps around his member, giving a few teasing pumps. “Fuck, Gavin,” he breathes, feeling a jolt of electricity rocket through him as Gavin slides his thumb over the tip of his dick, collecting the artificial bead of precum. “ _Please_ fuck me.”

“You don’t have to ask twice,” Gavin manages, distracted both by the hand on his cock and the fact that Nines hadn’t been wearing any underwear under those leather pants. “Turn around.”

Nines catches on quickly, a sly smirk settling on his lips as he stops his ministrations on Gavin’s cock and easily complies, turning around and bending over the counter. It’s perfect – having the mirror in front of him lets them both see each other, and Gavin meets his smirk with one of his own in the reflections. They are both beginning to look undone, Gavin with his hair slight mussed and Nines, a blue flush covering his face, trailing down his neck, and disappearing into his turtleneck. It’s a sight to behold undoubtedly, and one that makes them both far more eager.

A hand slides up Nines’s back, coming to rest on the crook of his neck, trailing sparks in its wake. “You don’t need lube,” Nines huffs out, anticipation coursing through him. He’s pleased by the slightly surprised expression on Gavin’s face, but is immediately distracted by a finger pressing against him, causing him to inhale sharply and his hands to press hard against the countertop.

“It would appear so,” Gavin purrs, letting his finger slowly slide into Nines’s entrance, enjoying the way the android perfectly contracts around him. He slowly slides in a second finger, delighted by the desperate keen that escapes the other. He stills for just a moment and swears he hears a faint growl.

“Gavin, if you do not fuck me _right now_ —ah!”

Heeding the warning, Gavin is quick to slide his fingers out, align his cock, and easily slide into Nines. It’s unexpected, how warm the android is, and how perfectly he fits around Gavin. Now comfortably sheathed, he turns his attention to gaze at the android’s reflection; he’s biting his lip, eyes half-lidded and lashes fluttering but entirely focused on Gavin, expression pleading. It’s gorgeous to behold, in all honesty.

“F-fuck,” Gavin hisses, sliding in the rest of him to the hilt, the hand on Nines’s shoulder gripping tightly against him, fingers digging in. He momentarily worries he’s hurting Nines but is quickly distracted from that thought when the android bounces back against him, clearly impatient.

With a low groan, Gavin slides back all the way to the tip, before slowly sliding back in, reveling in how warm and wet and absolutely perfectly fitting Nines is around his cock. He carefully begins to pick up the pace and is rewarded with little gasps and hisses from the android. “G-Gavin, ah, faster please!”

“So polite,” he manages. The hand on Nines’s shoulder remains there while the other grips onto his hips and he begins to thrust faster, Nines matching his rhythm to grind against him. They’re both trying to keep quiet – there’s still people in the bar after all – but it’s so goddamn _hard_. Nines eventually has to clap one hand over his own mouth, the other scrabbling for purchase to keep himself on the counter, finding a nearby faucet and grabbing hold of it.

The best part of this position, though, is that Nines gets a perfect vantage point, watching Gavin absolutely wreck him in the mirror. There’s absolutely no way they’ll be able to walk out of this bathroom casually. His hair is askew, probably from him trying to brace himself on the counter, and Gavin is covered in a thin sheen of sweat that has also undone his own hair, strands sticking to his forehead. His head is tilted back right now, lips parted as he pants in time with his thrusts.

Nines can feel the orgasm building slow at the base of his spine, a warmth pooling in his artificial stomach. He’s biting the palm of his hand so hard he’s lucky he’s not drawn thirium, and just as that thought crosses his mind the metallic tang floods his sensors and he rips his hand away, slapping it on the counter and subsequently smearing thirium on it, dropping his head to press his forehead against the cool granite. He’s overheating the more he edges closer to cumming, breath coming fast and shallow. “G-Gavin, I— _nnh!_ – I-I’m gonna, ah, f-fuck!”

Gavin pitches forward then, pressing in close to Nines, the hand leaving his shoulder to grip Nines’s jaw and force the android to look up. They lock eyes in the mirror and Gavin gives him a knowing look. “Cum for me, baby,” he purrs, voice thick and heavy.

That’s all it takes. Gavin’s hand clamps over Nines’s mouth as the android climaxes, barely muffling the cry as he jerks hard against Gavin, cock twitching as ropes of cum splatter to the tile. Gavin’s own orgasm peaks and then crashes down on him immediately, and he gasps hard as he fills Nines with his cum, thrusts stuttering to a slow as he remains pressed chest-to-back over Nines. They stay like that for a while, Gavin’s hand falling to the countertop to keep himself steady, as they both pant for air.

Eventually, Gavin cautiously draws out of Nines and practically rolls himself over to brace against the counter, doing his best to catch his own breathing and calm himself down. From beside him, Nines utters a soft, “holy _shit_ ,” to which Gavin can only nod in agreement. They’re both fucked out, but Gavin at least has the presence of mind to begin putting himself back together. He glances at Nines only to catch the android staring at him through the mirror, though he quickly looks away and shakily presses himself up from the counter, using the wall as support.

“You good?” Gavin asks, his voice hoarse.

It’s Nines’s turn to nod, still bracing himself against the wall. Eventually, he swallows and glances back at Gavin, an almost sheepish expression on his face. “W-would you mind, um… you’re dripping down my legs.”

Gavin catches on immediately and huffs out a little chuckle as he goes to grab some tissue for the android to clean up with. Nines does so shakily, clearly a bit out of it. Satisfied, he uses to the wall as a crutch once more as he crouches down to grab his pants. Gavin watches the android shakily pull the pants on, a faint look of disdain at the fact that he chose to wear leather, back pressed up against the wall the entire time. It’s amusing, to know that he was the one to reduce Nines to this state – an almost incoherent, quivering, fucked-out mess.

Finally having his pants on, he carefully slips on his socks and boots and then turns to Gavin, doing his best to appear casual, before looking around the scene of the crime and flushing a light blue. “We, ah… should clean up.”

Gavin looks down, eyes first finding the smear of thirium on the counter, before dropping to the streaks of cum on the tile. “Agreed,” he says, amusement laced in his tone. He pushes himself from the counter and steps into the stall to grab another wad of toilet paper. Nines holds his hand out for it, but Gavin merely pats his arm and crouches down to clean the cum off the tile. “You stay there and try to get your land legs back.”

Nines flusters at that, sputtering, before conceding and leaning against the wall once more. “Fine,” he mutters, watching as Gavin uses another wad of toilet paper to scrub the thirium from the counter.

“There,” he says, a self-satisfied grin on his face. “No traces.” He looks over to Nines, who merely shakes his head and rubs a hand across his face. There’s an odd tension in the bathroom now, though neither could place the exact source. Nines finds himself suddenly missing being pressed against Gavin – misses even having him close, as the man is now leaning against the counter, splashing some water on his face to freshen up.

Gavin, doing his absolute best to look and act unbothered, feels a sudden lack too. He’s sore, sure, but more importantly he wishes they were in a spot where he could have just stayed inside of Nines for a little longer, maybe wrapped his arms around the android and felt his body pressed against his. But no, they’re in a public restroom at a bar and should probably get the hell out of here. It’s an odd feeling, however, to desire closeness with someone, and it’s not something he’s used to. It’s… odd. Not necessarily unpleasant, just… _odd_.

“Would you like a ride home?” the android asks, finally breaking the silence and startling himself with how quickly the words leave his mouth. He’s usually hesitant to offer a ride to anyone he fucks, not wanting to overstep, but… in this instance, it fits.

Thankfully, Gavin meets his eyes and gives him a slight smile. “Yea, sure.”

They quietly make their way out of the restroom, both glad to see that the place is mostly cleared out. The bartender – a friend of Connor’s – does give them a pointed look, but Nines glares at her in warning and she raises her hands defensively, shrugging.

It’s a cold early morning as they step outside; Nines’s HUD happily lets him know the time just changed to five a.m. Gavin, checking his phone next to him, lets out a faint huff as he discovers the same thing. They walk back to Nines’s car quietly, both content to just be next to each other and both, honestly, tired. It’s rare that Nines is tired, being an android and all, but that was probably the best sex he’s had in, well… ever, and it definitely took a lot out of him.

He starts his car from a distant, making sure to get the heat going. Gavin gives him a pointed, but thankful, look as he steps around to the passenger side and slides in. Nines seats himself behind the steering wheel gracefully, tapping the display to bring up the map for Gavin to enter his address. He does so pretty quickly, before settling back into the seat and looking over at Nines. The android is focused on getting out of the parking spot, but catches his eyes and flushes slightly, quickly looking away. Curious, as that’s the second time that’s happened.

“How you feeling?” Gavin asks, doing his best to sound casual.

Nines huffs out a little laugh, shaking his head. “Better,” he replies. “I can drive well enough, at least.”

Gavin can’t help the prideful grin. “Damn, I really didn’t know an android could get so wrecked like that,” he jabs, eyes studying Nines. He is, fuck… he is really gorgeous, especially slightly disheveled. It’s a stunning sight, and it… ah, hell, no… are those butterflies or heart palpitations? Gavin swallows nervously and rips his gaze away to watch the scenery go by. At least it’s a quick drive, but the silence isn’t doing anything to get him out of his head.

“We’re not impervious, Gavin,” Nines finally replies, voice soft. “I may not feel pain or discomfort on the level that you do, but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel it at all.”

Gavin looks back over at him, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “I… yea, I mean, I know. You are… fuck, you’re surprisingly more human than I _ever_ gave you credit for.”

Nines lets out a little hum in response, but otherwise remains silent for a moment. Gavin is beginning to think he’s not going to say anything at all, when he finally lets out a soft sigh and glances over at him. “Is that… Does that make it easier to like me? Thinking I’m a human?” There’s an edge to his voice – something fragile.

Gavin’s eyes widen as he realizes what the android next to him is asking. “No!” he’s quick to reply, shaking his head. “That’s not what I meant, it’s just… I’m used to typical Cyberlife androids, y’know. They’re everywhere, and they’re all so scripted and boring. ‘ _Your total is blah, blah, blah’_ and _‘have a nice day_ ’, all in that same generic voice. It’s… fuck, yea. You, and your brothers, are nothing like that.”

There’s a soft chuckle from next to him, and Gavin looks up to see Nines, one hand lightly pressed over his mouth, a strange glisten to his bright eyes. He seems to steady himself, before whispering, “we weren’t meant to be _anything_ like Cyberlife androids.”

Gavin tilts his head, watching Nines closely. On a whim, he reaches out and slides his hand against the android’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Amanda, she… she built us to be vastly different. More human in nature, even if less human in appearance. It’s that fact that I sometimes wonder if it’s harder for me to form more… genuine connections, not just with humans but other androids as well.” He drops his hand from his face, hesitates a moment, and then carefully places it over Gavin’s. “It’s part of why Connor, Sixty, and I are so close. Without Amanda, it really does just feel like us three against the world.”

Gavin carefully twists his hand so they’re palm to palm and interlocks his fingers with Nines’s. “It’s not,” he says softly. “Not if I have anything to say about it, at least.”

The look Nines gives him has his heart beating a mile a minute and, shit, yep. He’s smitten.

Gavin fuckin’ Reed has developed feelings for an android. _Fuck_.

The rest of the drive is silent, though they keep their hands interlocked, Nines not wanting to let go to help himself believe that this is real, and Gavin not wanting to let go because it’s grounding him as he parses his feelings for the android.

The car eventually pulls up outside of Gavin’s apartment, and Nines parks it smoothly. The two of them just sit, though, both unsure of what to say. Eventually, Nines lets out a soft sigh and turns to Gavin. “Sorry,” he murmurs, “for getting a little emotional there.”

Gavin chuckles, leaning in slightly closer. “As long as you don’t immediately cry after sex, I’m fine.”

That gets a laugh out of the android, tilting his head back. “Fuck, I have once,” he admits, blushing faintly. “Only once, immediately after Amanda passed and I was doing anything to fill the void. That was an embarrassing nightmare.”

“I can imagine,” Gavin jokes, voice filled with mirth. “Well, I’ll talk to you later, yea?”

Nines lights up at that, eyes twinkling. “Yea, of course. Have a good night, Gavin.”

Gavin carefully untangles their hands, surprised by his reluctance, before popping the door open and stepping out. “You too, Nines.” He pulls his jacket a little closer as he closes the door, before giving a little wave and making his way over to the front door of his apartment building, using his phone to unlock it. He steps just inside the threshold, then turns to watch Nines’s car pull out of the parallel spot and drive away, taillights fading in the distance.

“ _Fuck_ …”

-~-

The base is surprisingly busy when Gavin arrives later that evening. He’s almost concerned that something happened when he bumps into Hank.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” he murmurs, flushing slightly.

Hank merely levels an easy stare at him and a faint shrug. “No worries,” he mutters. It looks like he’s about to continue on his way when he pauses and glances back at Gavin. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know anyone interested in joining, would you? We seem to lose more members than we can get.”

Gavin frowns faintly at that, now aware of the reason behind the hustle and bustle. Probably not someone he knew, but he still feels bad for them. It’s a part of the life, though. “I mean,” he begins, contemplating Hank’s question. There’s a thought at the forefront, though he’s hesitant to voice it.

There’s a slightly impatient grumble from the larger man, and Gavin looks up at him sharply, suddenly nervous. “Well?”

“Y-yea,” he spits out and immediately kicks himself for it. “Fuck, yea. I do. Uh… you’re not gonna like the answer though.”

“Try me,” Hank snorts, eyebrow quirked.

Gavin sighs softly and shakes his head. “They’re androids, Hank.”

There’s a moment of silence, before Hank lets out a low groan. “You’re fuckin’ kidding me. You, gallivanting about with androids?”

“I know, I know,” Gavin snaps, raising his hands. “Look, they aren’t Cyberlife androids, though.” That seems to pique Hank’s interest. “If you wanna, I could probably convince them to meet up with us to discuss things.”

Hank thinks for a moment, arms crossed over his broad chest. For a moment, Gavin is worried he’ll be shot down, but to his surprise Hank nods. “Yea,” he mutters. “Yea, sure, alright. Let’s see what they’ve got.”

Gavin lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and subsequently can’t fight a grin from forming on his face. “Fucking really? Alright. I’ll, uh, reach out.”

“Yea, kid, you do that,” Hank replies, before turning on his heel and heading out.

It slowly dawns on him just _what_ he offered as Gavin watches Hank leave. “Ah, fuck,” he mutters, scrubbing a hand over his face. He dips his hand into his pocket, hesitating a moment, before withdrawing his phone. It’s unlocked with this fingerprint quickly, and he opens up his contacts as he makes his way to a quieter area of the base, finding a nice couch to recline on. With a sigh, he dials Nines, please when the android picks up almost immediately.

“Hello, Gavin.”

He can’t help but roll his eyes. “Dude, you don’t have to be so fucking formal _all_ of the time,” he teases, his voice laced with mirth. He can’t help the grin nor the skip of a heartbeat when Nines offers a little huff in retort. “Look, I uh… might have opened my big mouth and mentioned y’all to Hank. And now he wants to meet you three.”

There’s silence on the end for a moment, and Gavin is suddenly worried that he _fucked up_ , when Nines lets out a little hum followed by, “okay. Then shall we arrange a meeting?”

Gavin’s nerves are just fried enough that all he manages at first is a nod, only to remember that Nines can’t actually see him. “U-uh, fuck. Yea let’s do that. There’s a bar Tina and I frequent that’s impartial to all of us, it might be a good commonplace to meet at.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll run it by Sixty and Connor first, of course, but I’m sure it’ll be no problem. Tonight?”

Gavin almost nods again before catching himself in the act. _Holy fucking_ shit _Reed, get yourself together_. “Yea tonight should be fine. I’ll double check with Hank but, uh… yea.”

“Sounds good, Gavin. I’ll see you tonight,” Nines murmurs, and Gavin swears he can hear the smile in his voice. The line disconnects then, and Gavin sinks back into the couch with a groan, scrubbing his hands over his face once more. This damn android was gonna be the death of him.

-~-

The bar is, blessedly, nearly empty when Hank and Gavin arrive. They’re the first to arrive, so they locate a secluded booth in one of the back corners. Gavin texts Nines where to find them, and the waitress stops by to get their drink orders. Both stick with beer and proceed to sit in slightly tense silence. Gavin is nervous, but more than that, he’s never even spent this much time alone with Hank, especially considering Hank had given him a ride to the bar. The man is a lot more stoic than Gavin had ever given him credit for, but also a lot more… human, judging from the trash in the backseat and the empty pack of cigarettes shoved in the cup holder.

For so long, Hank had been this recondite being who alluded many of the other members, preferring to stick to his own jobs and not mingle unless necessary. It had been a huge drawing force for Gavin; he always wanted to crack the case that was Hank Anderson but had never gotten near close enough to. Now that he was suddenly much closer, it was almost… not disappointing, not at all, but it was just a lot more lackluster than he expected. Hank was a private guy who kept to himself and enjoyed getting drunk, judging from the few empty liquor bottles on the floor of the passenger seat that he’d thrown into the back before Gavin was able to get in the car. He knew the man wasn’t without his fair share of problems, though many of them he didn’t know the full extent of. The most obvious one, was, of course, his son; that had almost destroyed Hank.

There’s the noise of a bottle tapping against wood that brings Gavin out of his thoughts, and he looks up just in time to catch the waitress give him a sly smile and wink before she strides away. Hank, apparently not letting anything go unnoticed, lets out a derisive snort. “Got an admirer?”

Gavin flushes slightly and shakes his head. “She’s not my type,” he mutters, grabbing his beer and taking a swig, trying to avoid the topic.

Hank, however, arches an eyebrow and leans forward slightly. “Oh, really? What is your ‘type’, then, Reed?”

The blush deepens and Gavin clears his throat, quickly trying to gather his thoughts, when a voice snaps his attention over to a familiar group approaching them. “Hey, Gavin,” Nines murmurs, giving him a warm smile that makes the man’s heart do backflips, before turning to Hank and holding a hand out. “And you must be Mr. Anderson. It’s a pleasure, my name is Nines.”

Hank gives Gavin a knowing look, a mischievous grin on his face, before he goes to shake Nines’s hand. “Nice t’meet ya, too. Just Hank’s fine.”

Nines nods at that and steps aside, gesturing to Sixty and Connor. “And these are my brothers, Sixty,” the android in question gives a little wave and pulls up a free chair, promptly flopping into it, “and this is Connor.”

Connor, surprisingly, flushes a light blue and swallows nervously as his eyes lock on with Hank’s. “Oh, yes, ah… Nice to meet you, Hank.” He halts for a moment, watching as Nines slides into the booth next to Gavin, leaving the only vacant spot… next to Hank, of course. He does his best to appear casual as he slips into the seat, but there’s a strange look to his face.

Gavin glances over at Hank and is surprised to see that the man’s eyes haven’t left Connor’s face. He nudges Nines lightly to catch his attention and direct it towards the nearly electrifying tension. Nines shifts next to him and leans in, pressing against his side as he whispers in Gavin’s ear, “Hank is absolutely, one-hundred- _percent_ Connor’s type.”

Muffling a guffaw, Gavin claps his hand over his mouth and presses his back into the booth, shooting Nines a dirty look. The android feigns innocence, a slight smile on his lips as he shrugs.

It’s undeniable, though. Connor, for as smart and cunning and suave as he usually is, is an absolutely stutter-y mess nearly the entire time. And, surprisingly, Hank is laying it on quite thick. Gavin didn’t really think the twink-y cute-boy android would be right up Hank’s alley but, well, he was learning a lot of things about the man tonight.

They order more drinks, and Gavin and Hank both order some food, as the atmosphere relaxes around them and the conversations begin to flow more easily. The alcohol, of course, helps to take the edge off – as well as amp up Connor’s courage, as he’s now matching Hank’s level of flirting obviously – so much so Sixty occasionally makes a face and mocks him behind his back.

Eventually, Gavin clears his throat and leans across the table, pushing his half-finished plate of pasta out of the way. “Okay, so,” he starts, catching everyone’s attention. “Hank, I know you mentioned us needing more people, and, well… yea.”

Hank chuckles, a warm, deep sound that makes Connor flush for the billionth time that night. “Yea, I did. Sorry, got a bit caught up. Been a while since I… eh, anyways.” He looks over the androids, a scrutinizing glint in his eyes. “I know the saying is usually, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, but, t’be honest, Jericho isn’t really our enemy. We’ve managed to build a harmonious relationship over the last couple years, and I’d be a right idiot to go and fuck that up.”

Connor opens his mouth for a second, as if to offer a rebuttal, but Hank shoots him a look that has him snapping his jaw shut immediately. Gavin barely catches the whispered, “ _holy fuck_ ,” from Nines next to him.

“That being said, if you wanted to work with us… I’d have to run it by Fowler first. Y’all kinda pissed ‘im off with the tagging over some of our fresh work shit,” Hank continues, pausing only to take a swig of his beer. “I can’t imagine he’d have much in the way of an argument though. We need the help, he’s always been fine with android’s, probably a done deal. Y’all seem like y’could be trustworthy in the end.” That last sentence seems to be directed at Connor, whose eyes haven’t left Hank the entire time he’s speaking.

Nines bites back a chuckle and instead offers up, “the tagging did work, though. It caught your attention.”

“Hey, it caught _my_ attention,” Gavin grumbles, nudging Nines in the side. He’s rewarded with a pointed look followed by a roll of glowing blue eyes.

The rest of the night goes by much too quickly. Hank pulls Gavin aside to see if he’s okay getting a ride from one of the other androids and then he and Connor are quick to call it a night, heading out of the bar around midnight. Sixty is shortly behind them, ditching Nines and Gavin to go flirt with anyone who catches his interest.

There’s a rather awkward silence that settles over the two of them. Gavin nurses his beer, debating if he should bring up what he’s been feeling. Thankfully, Nines beats him to the punch, turning towards him and studying him with bright eyes.

“Do you think we could, maybe… go talk somewhere quieter?” he asks, his voice laced with trepidation.

Gavin simultaneously feels more relaxed and yet more on edge than he had, but he nods and flags the waitress down to pay for their drinks and then they’re out of the bar and sitting in Nines’s car once again. Nines kicks it into gear, having already set a clear destination. The car ride is tense, riddled with anxiety and more emotion than Gavin has dealt with in literal years.

Eventually, the car arrives at an abandoned factory amidst the old docks that settle on the Detroit river. Nines pulls his car up close to the waterfront before shutting it off and stepping outside. Gavin hurries to follow, letting the door fall closed behind him. He does pause to take in the views, however. Being a bit outside of the city has provided a little less light pollution, and the water twinkles away below.

There’s a sigh beside him and Gavin turns to see Nines leaning on the hood of his car. It only takes a second before Gavin joins him, a wired anxiety coursing through him. Fuck, this was it. They went from originally just wanting a quick fuck to considering much more than that in 24 hours. Suddenly, Gavin wishes he’s a lot drunker than he is; maybe it would make this easier to deal with. Instead, he lights up a cigarette – his first in a couple days – and takes a long drag, exhaling the smoke slowly.

Nines shifts next to him, the android running a hand through his hair nervously, loosening the curls. His lips part momentarily, close, and then he bites his lip in contemplative silence. Finally, stealing himself, he speaks up.

“When I wanted to catch Central’s attention, at first, it was genuinely about getting assistance to help take down Jericho. And then, I… I learned more about you,” he begins, clearly intensely nervous, gaze focused out on the waterfront. “I wasn’t too concerned at first, but the more I began to learn, the more… curious I became. It was purely professional at first.

“And then I… saw you at a café I frequented. You laughed at something the barista said, and my professional intrigue switched gears into something much more intimate before I even realized what was happening. I was blindsided by my… my feelings for you. I didn’t even know you, and yet I was enraptured. That’s why we specifically targeted the piece you were working on; I wanted you to notice me. And, by the way, losing my switchblade was entirely accidentally.”

Gavin huffs out a soft laugh at that, though he finds himself leaning in a touch closer to the android next to him. “Pretty fuckin’ perfect accident, if you ask me,” he murmurs.

From beside him, Nines huffs out a little laugh. “Yes, it was. I… I tried to keep myself professional. Clearly, I failed that, and I…” He pauses, wringing his hands together in his lap. “I don’t know where to go from here.”

There’s silence as Gavin contemplates what exactly the next options are. They could go their separate ways, but that idea drives a stake into his heart and takes the air from his lungs. They could continue on as they are, maybe fuck on occasion, but that felt… unfulfilling, bordering on sadness. And then… “Well, we could give it a shot.”

“It?”

“Us, I mean.”

Nines inhales sharply, eyes wide as he looks at Gavin. “Do you mean…?”

Gavin merely nods, studying the android before him. “If you wanted to. Do you want to?”

“Yes.” It’s said so quickly, Gavin hasn’t even finished forming the question, but it’s so faultless it makes him laugh.

“Good,” he murmurs, shifting a touch closer.

Hesitantly, Nines brings a hand up, fingers sliding against his jaw, feeling the trace of stubble as his synthskin peels away. There’s a moment of hesitation before they’re closing the distance, eyes fluttering shut as lips touch gently. Gavin presses in a bit closer, amazed at how warm and pliable the android’s lips are. It’s entirely idyllic; feeling Nines against him like this is unlike anything he’s ever experienced.

They draw apart a moment later, both breathing hard. Nines eyes are somewhat wet, a faint sheen to them that he quickly blinks away as he gives a sheepish grin. “Sorry,” he murmurs.

Gavin shakes his head and presses another soft kiss to the corner of Nines’s mouth. “Stop saying sorry, damnit,” he replies.

Nines flushes at that but nods. They sit in silence a touch longer, Gavin finishing his smoke, before he tosses his spent cigarette to the side and turns towards Nines. “Wanna go to my place?’

The android looks slightly surprised, but a small smile forms just a moment later. “Absolutely.”


	4. Bruises and Bitemarks

“Feel the magic rise  
We're plotting our demise  
Of perspiration and alcohol  
As I introduce the bedroom brawl”

Bruises & Bitemarks – Good with Grenades

-~-

_A couple more weeks later…_

It’s barely past seven p.m. when his phone rings, drawing Gavin out of his thoughts. He glances at the caller ID and lets out an agitated huff. “What the fuck, Elijah,” he hisses, snatching the phone off the table to end the call. He hasn’t even set it back down when it starts ringing again, and he lets out a loud groan, tilting his head back to glare at the ceiling. He gives it another moment, steeling himself, before he slides his thumb across the screen and answers with a curt, “yea?”

“Oh, Gavin, ever the charmer, aren’t you?” Elijah drawls out, a false sense of laziness to his voice. It’s an act, of course; the man has never known an ounce of languor before in his life.

Gavin rolls his eyes even if his stepbrother can’t see him. “What the fuck do you want? You know I’m not working with you.”

There’s a mildly offended noise from the other line. “What, I can’t call my baby brother just to chat?”

“You are literally _three months_ older than me, shut the fuck up,” Gavin grumbles, shoving himself to his feet to step out onto his balcony. “Quit wasting my time, what do you _want_?”

Elijah lets out a faint chuckle that almost – almost – makes Gavin’s blood boil. At least he wasn’t being as cocky as he used to be, back when he was Cyberlife’s hot-shot CEO; getting fired sure had taken him down a few pegs. “I wanted to see if you would like to get dinner tonight? My treat.”

There’s a moment of silence, before Gavin pulls the phone away from his ear to check the time. He reluctantly brings it back up to his ear, unable to keep the disbelief out of his tone. “Eli, it’s seven fucking p.m.”

“Yes, and? I know you’re up all night anyways, and to be frank so have I been lately. So, what do you say? We could hit the new steakhouse that just opened on the riverfront.” There’s a cordial, maybe even jovial, lilt to Elijah’s voice now. It rubs Gavin wrong, and he’s immediately considering his stepbrother’s ulterior motives.

Reluctant, he glances at his fridge, taking a mental stock and promptly falling flat. At best, there were a couple beers and a few frostbitten frozen meals. _Fuck_. “Fine,” he eventually growls out. “But if you try anything I’m leaving.”

Elijah chuckles once more. “No, no ulterior motives here. I know where you stand, and… loathe as I am to admit it, I don’t believe I can change your mind. Shall I send a car to pick you up?”

“Fuck no, I’ll drive myself,” Gavin replies quickly. The idea of being stuck in one of those stuffy automated cabs makes his skin crawl. “Send me the time and location and I’ll see you there.” He doesn’t give Elijah time to respond as he promptly hangs up, dropping his phone into his pocket. He feels it buzz as he makes his way to the restroom to freshen up; might as well attempt to look nice.

-~-

“Jesus, _fuck_ ,” Gavin breathes, looking around the steakhouse. Opulent barely covered the description. Each chandelier probably cost more than his bike, and his bike certainly wasn’t cheap.

Doing his best to act like he belongs – and now feeling overwhelmingly underdressed in his loose black button up and tight gray slacks – he makes his way over to the podium where he’s greeted by a pleasant Cyberlife android, the LED on her temple swirling a harmless blue. “Good evening,” she chirps, her voice a pleasant sound, if not slightly devoid of emotion. “Did you have a reservation?”

“Under Kamski,” Gavin mutters, looking around the restaurant a bit more. Most of the staff look like androids, which makes sense. The kitchen was probably one of the few places fully staffed with humans still. It was eerie, especially considering what he knew of androids overall – and _especially_ in comparison to the RK brothers.

“Ah, yes,” comes the hostess’s cheery voice, “follow me sir.”

He nods and trails after her, praying that he’s not drawing any attention to himself. He’d opted to forego any egregious accessories, having donned the nicest watch he owns on one wrist and a simple black leather band around the other, but it still felt like he’d walked in here wearing his largest spiked choker and massive platform boots with a few of the sideways glances he’s getting.

The hostess leads him to the back of the restaurant, to one of the more private rooms – because, of course, that was just like Elijah. He rarely appeared in public, having only been caught one or two times slipping out the back of a restaurant or club. It was a sharp 180 from the attention whore he used to be, parading all over Detroit for a million interviews and promos.

Curtains part, and Gavin is stepping into a small but spacious room. There’s a medium sized table with a few chairs spattered around it. Sitting in one is Elijah, and, in the chair directly next to him, is a man Gavin recognizes from… somewhere. He can’t quite place him, however, and the closer he looks the more he begins to realize he must be an android, judging from the fact that the drink in his hand has an unnatural blue hue to it. He certainly looks a little different from the standard Cyberlife model, most notably being the fact that he has multi-colored eyes and… facial hair? The fuck, could androids even _grow_ facial hair?

“Ah, there you are!” Elijah starts, rising from his seat. The android next to him sets his wine glass down and follows, a faint smile on his face. “Was worried you might have had trouble finding the place.”

Gavin scoffs and crosses his arms. “Please, Eli, I have fucking GPS on my phone. This isn’t the early 2000’s.”

Elijah, for what it’s worth, lets the comment slide with only a roll of his eyes as he motions to the android next to him. “You’ll have to forgive my brother, Marcus. He’s a bit of an ass.”

The android – Marcus – laughs at that, shaking his head. “It’s no worries,” he quips, before turning fully to Gavin and holding a hand out. “Nice to meet you, I am Marcus.”

Gavin hesitates for just a second before he takes Marcus’s hand, shaking it firmly. Fuck, _where_ did he recognize him from? “Yea, same to you, name’s Gavin.”

They all settle back into their respective seats, Gavin making sure to keep some distance from his stepbrother. The waitress swings by to take his drink order and refill their waters, before bustling off again. There’s silence, at first, as Gavin skims the menu and proceeds to pick out the most expensive surf-and-turf platter he can find. Hey, if Eli’s paying, he’s going to take full advantage.

After a bit, he clears his throat and, pausing to take a sip from his whiskey, he looks up to meet Marcus’s eyes and offers him a weak grin. “So, how do you two know each other?”

Elijah tilts back in his seat slightly, taking a long drink of his wine. “Technically,” he finally starts, and Gavin braces himself for a speech, “I helped create Marcus here. He was a gift, to a friend – a one of a kind prototype.”

Marcus huffs out a little chuckle at that. “Don’t give yourself all of the credit, Elijah. Amanda played more of a factor in my creation, and you know that.”

Amanda. _Amanda_? “Wait a minute,” comes rushing out of Gavin’s mouth as he leans forward onto the table, eyes wide. “Amanda, as in Amanda Stern?”

Elijah and Marcus share a look momentarily, but Marcus does eventually nod. “Yes, she was highly involved in robotics outside of Cyberlife.”

“And my mentor, but I thought you knew that?” Elijah chimes in, a curious expression on his face.

Gavin sits back in his seat, the wind knocked out of his lungs at this revelation. He remains quiet, looking between the two, disbelief coloring his expression.

Elijah coughs, sparing another glance at Markus, before turning back to Gavin. “Anyways,” he continues, “Amanda passed away not too long ago. She sent me a letter, something about taking care of her… ‘sons’. I never knew her to have any children, so there was only one logical conclusion. But, as far as I’m aware, Marcus is the only android she ever created. So, I reached out to see if he had any idea what she was talking about.”

“And this has what to do with me…?” Gavin murmurs, suddenly on high alert.

Elijah pulls out his phone and takes a second to scroll through it, apparently looking for something. He seems to find what he’s searching for and holds his phone out for Gavin to take. Displayed on the screen is a photo, of him, in a bar… and sure as shit, there’s Nines sitting right next to him. Gavin pales, eyes darting up, quickly looking between Elijah and Marcus. There’s the sound of blood roaring in his ears, his heartbeat quickening as adrenaline picks up. Fuck, this _cannot_ be happening.

Sensing his anxiety, Elijah shakes his head and holds his hand out for his phone. “Relax, Gav. The photo’s from a friend of mine – she saw you at the bar and thought it was funny you were with an android, so she snapped a photo and sent it to me.”

The tense air dissipates a smidgen and Gavin lets out the breath he was holding slowly. “Wait,” he starts, letting Elijah’s phone drop into his awaiting hand. “Wait a fucking second. Did she send you that photo… so you two could _make fun of me_?” The anxiety morphs into an incredulous, highly embarrassed rage as the realization hits him. “What the _fuck_ , Eli?”

Elijah holds his hands up defensively, but he does start laughing, tilting back in his chair once more. “I’m sorry, I know! For what it’s worth, it was just Chloe—”

“She’s _deviant_?”

“Shh!” Elijah snaps, immediately serious. “Don’t be so damn loud, Gav. Yes, she is. This is all besides the point, anyways. That android in the photo is unlike any Cyberlife model, so… once again, there was only one logical conclusion. And your reaction to hearing Amanda’s name really helped solidify that.”

Gavin slumps back in his chair, taking a mouthful of his whiskey as he contemplates Elijah’s words. He looks over at Marcus, who has been watching the interaction with a look of amused curiosity the entire time. He catches Gavin’s stare and shoots him a cheeky wink over the top of his wine glass, making Gavin splutter and blush. _Fuckin’ a…_

This was… a lot to process. More so, it was a lot to even consider that Marcus – who he still couldn’t place god _damn_ it – was potentially “related” to the RK brothers. He contemplates this for a moment, studying the wood grain of the table, before slowly turning his attention back up to the other two men. “Alright, so,” he mutters, “I s’pose you want to meet the android in the photo?”

Elijah nods, but Marcus leans forward slightly, gaze focused. “Absolutely,” he says, tone resolute. “Especially if they are anything like me, I feel that they would be a great asset to my… team.”

And then it clicks. Ah, _fuck_. Doing his best to hide his newfound trepidation, Gavin nods, plastering on a fake grin. “Yea, uh, I’ll ask him and see what he says. He’s kinda wary of other androids, y’know, but… it’ll help, knowing that you’re kinda related, in a way.”

Marcus nods, expression softening. “Thanks, Gavin. I appreciate it.”

-~-

The earpiece rings in his ear for a half-second before a familiar voice picks up. “Hey, Gavin, what’s up?”

“You’re not going to believe this,” Gavin groans. “Are you able to swing by my place? I gotta talk to you about something.”

“Uhm, yea,” Nines replies, though there’s a hint of nervousness. “Everything okay?”

“Yea, yea, everything’s fine babe. I’m about twenty minutes from my apartment, I’ll see you then?”

“Of course, I’ll see you soon,” Nines replies. The line crackles closed and Gavin promptly picks up the speed on his bike, rushing home as fast as he can. He’d been able to dip out shortly after they finished eating, citing “work issues” – in which Elijah had given him a nasty glare for. He knew he wouldn’t be able to tough it out much longer, knowing what he does now.

Fuck, he was an idiot for not recognizing Marcus _fucking_ Manfred, leader of _Jericho_. Of course, the android wasn’t super public – hell, none of them were, considering the work they were involved in outside of their android activism. From what he knew, Marcus specialized in art forgery. The android could recreate any painting, down to the very finest details, and sell it to unsuspecting collectors for a pretty penny. Some even sought him out for expensive recreations on purpose. It was a well-known secret amongst the underground and had been a huge finance source to help Jericho advocate for androids.

And, despite the fact that Jericho and Central were on fairly peaceable terms, Gavin certainly didn’t feel comfortable galivanting around with their fucking leader. At least Marcus didn’t seem to recognize him – or, if he did, he wasn’t concerned by him. Gavin wasn’t sure if he should be offended by that.

He’s pulling into his building’s underground parking lot not a moment later only to be startled when a car pulls in right behind him. It takes a panicked second, but he does eventually recognize it. _Fuck, he’s quick_.

Gavin pulls his bike into its usual spot and hops off quickly, watching as Nines parks his car in one of the visitor spaces. The long-legged android casually steps out a moment later, touching one finger to the door handle to lock the car, before turning and striding over to Gavin. “Hey,” he greets, bending down to catch Gavin’s lips in a gentle kiss.

Gavin snakes his hand around the back of Nines’s neck, deepening the kiss for a moment before breaking away. “Hey, yourself,” he greets, a lopsided grin on his face. Jesus, just a couple months ago he never would have even considered fucking an android, and now… “Let’s get upstairs, you really are not going to believe this.”

They take the elevator up to Gavin’s eleventh floor apartment, and Gavin doesn’t have time to even realize that this is the first time he’s letting Nines’s into his space before they’re attacked by a vicious ball of fluff.

“Holy fuck, Princess!” he snaps, stooping down to scoop the offending cat into his arms, much to her obvious dismay. She’s soothed by a few ear scritches as Gavin turns to Nines sheepishly, cheeks lightly flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, she’s excitable.”

“She’s adorable,” Nines practically coos, reaching a tentative hand out. Princess sniffs once, twice, and then butts her head against it, demanding more scratches, to which Nines happily complies. “I didn’t realize you have a cat.”

Gavin chuckles and looks around the living room. “Two, actually. Asshole’s probably hiding under my bed, knowing him. He hates new people.”

Nines lets out a low hum of acknowledgment and finally turns to look around the space. It’s nice – surprisingly well kept considering the man who resides here – with simple furniture and a few trinkets along various shelving units. There’s a guitar perched on one, leaning against the wall, and judging from the lack of dust in the area it’s used frequently.

Gavin nervously clears his throat and nods to the couch as he deposits Princess onto the cat tower. “Make yourself at home. I, uh, didn’t think about getting drinks…”

“No need,” Nines replies, turning his gaze back to Gavin as he holds up a small paper bag that Gavin had somehow never noticed. “I took care of that myself. You have a lovely place, by the way.” He reaches into the bag and withdraws a bottle of thirium whiskey, making his way to Gavin’s kitchen before the other can even bolster up a complaint.

Gavin watches him momentarily, a bit dumbstruck that – holy _fuck_ – Nines was actually in his apartment. And he didn’t have shit to say about it other than “ _you have a lovely place_ ”, which, c’mon, he’d seen the digs he and the other two RK units lived in. That had to be some sort of placating bullshit.

Shaking himself out of his brief stupor, he follows Nines into the kitchen, beating him to the cabinet where the whiskey tumblers are stored, handing one over to the android. He then turns to his fridge to riffle through the barren freezer. After a moment, he lets out a somber sigh, snatches a beer out of the fridge section, and turns back to Nines. “No whiskey ice cubes, unfortunately,” he mutters.

The android shrugs, a small smile on his lips. “No worries,” he replies, “this is fine at room temperature too.”

Gavin can’t help disrupting the androids attempt to fix himself a drink, grabbing hold of his collar and pulling him in for a chaste kiss. “Fuck, babe,” he starts, biting at Nines’s lip teasingly, “you pet my cat, compliment my shitty apartment, _and_ don’t judge my hideously empty fridge. You’re after my heart.”

Nines flushes, but smirks all the same, pressing Gavin up against the counter in a show of boldness, letting his thigh slid between the man’s legs. “You discovered my ulterior motives,” he purrs, leaning in to trail kisses across Gavin’s neck. Rough hands slide up the android’s chest and slowly begin to undo the row of buttons, fingers ghosting against his synth-skin as Gavin moves. “To steal your cat.” He punctuates that with a nip of his teeth and then leans back slightly. “Didn’t you have something to tell me?”

“Huh?” Gavin mutters, drawn back to the moment. “Oh, fuck, yea. Jesus, you’re a damn good distraction. C’mon, the couch is more comfortable.”

Nines shifts back, grabbing his glass off the countertop before turning and making his way over to the couch. His shirt remains undone, showing off the expanse of alabaster skin pulled taught over lean synthetic muscle. It’s an entrancing thought, and Gavin definitely has an idea of how this night is going to end as he follows behind Nines – though he does nearly forget his damn beer and have to double back for a second to grab it.

They settle into the couch, Gavin pulling Nines’s legs up over his lap and wrapping an arm around the android’s waist. “So,” he begins after a moment and a long drink of his beer, “I met up with Elijah for dinner tonight.”

“Oh?” Nines murmurs, tilting his head curiously.

“Yea. And he was there… with another android. Marcus, to be exact.” Gavin cuts his thought off there with another mouthful of beer, instead opting for Nines to put the pieces together instead. It doesn’t take more than a second before the android’s eyes are widening in realization.

“Marcus, as in Marcus Manfred? Leader of Jericho?”

Gavin nods slowly. “Yep, and, uh… well, fuck. There’s no easy way to say this. Marcus was created by Amanda, back before you three.”

The silence that settles over them is heavy. Gavin risks stealing a look at Nines’s face and is heartbroken by the distress he sees glimmering in those blue orbs. He shifts forward to put his beer bottle on the coffee table before wrapping his now free arm around Nines, pulling the android in closer. Nines lets out a long, slow sigh, before knocking back a mouthful of whiskey, polishing the glass off in one go. “Fuck,” he eventually breathes, letting himself settle against Gavin a touch more, burying his face into the crook of his neck. “I always wondered. Amanda always talked about… being more involved in the past. She alluded to having created another android long before us, and there were remnants around her office, but… I never… I didn’t think that that android, if they did exist, would still be active. Nor would they be… _Marcus_ , of all people.”

Gavin remains silent, nuzzling his nose into the soft curls of dark hair on the top of Nines’s head, amazed by how delicately real they feel against his skin. He keeps his hold tight on the android, feeling the way each component shifts in his hips as he presses closer to Gavin still. The silence remains for a bit after that, Nines processing this piece of information, parsing through various emotions at a rapid pace. There’s frustration – anger, even – that Amanda never told him about Marcus. There’s denial, and sadness, and confusion, and…

“Why would she want to dismantle Jericho if it’s run by the android _she_ created?” he gasps after a moment, sitting up so abruptly that Gavin is knocked back slightly, teeth clacking together. Nines offers him an apologetic gaze to which Gavin waves off, not bothered in the slightest. More so, he’s worried, and the more he thinks about it, it _is_ also a good bit confusing.

“Maybe… she worried that Marcus’s attempts to free other androids would upset a power balance?” Gavin tries after a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek in thought. He reaches for his beer once again and takes a swig.

Nines shakes his head. “No, she was long out of Cyberlife’s clutches at that point, and… She wanted androids to be free. She created Connor, Sixty, and I all fully prepared to deviate in our own ways. It was planned, in a way, as much as it was not. Maybe…” Nines’s eyes fall to the floor, LED spinning rapidly yellow, blipping red, and slowly fading back to a neutral blue. “Connor. I bet it’s Connor’s doing,” he surmises, and Gavin is surprised by the bitterness that seeps in. “He’s always felt threatened by Jericho – that other androids could become free of their own volition, whereas we were built with freedom in mind. That there could be _more_ they were capable of, that we never had the ability for. That… that they could be more human, in the end.”

Gavin groans, tilting his head back into the couch, considering Nines’s words. “Fuck, babe,” he eventually mutters. “So, what, your brother misconstrued Amanda’s dying wish in order to take down Jericho because he’s _threatened_ by them?”

Nines, once again, shakes his head. “It wasn’t her dying wish. She told us to keep an eye on them, but more than that, she wanted us to… to be happy.” There’s a strained wetness that takes hold of Nines’s voice, and he clears his throat – resulting in a slightly tinny reverberation of static – before he continues. “She wanted us to find our own meanings. It was expressly written into her will, alongside the penthouse apartment and all of her money. She wanted us to live our lives.”

With a huff, Gavin sits up just a touch straighter, pressing into Nines and placing a soft kiss on his neck. “Maybe, we should talk to Connor,” he supplies, breath ghosting across Nines’s skin. It results in a pleasant little shudder from the android.

“Perhaps, we should,” he murmurs, ducking his head against Gavin’s shoulder, practically melting against him as Gavin continues to press kisses and slight nips against his skin. He strikes a particularly sensitive spot, resulting in a cry – “ _ah_ , Gavin!” – from the android and another shudder. Nines pulls back slightly, pressing against Gavin’s shoulders to draw the man off of him.

Gavin looks up at him curiously, eyebrow arched. “You started it,” he murmurs indignantly, drawing a faint chuckle out of the android.

“I suppose I did, but… perhaps we can move this to the bedroom?”

There’s a pause, a brief moment of contemplation, before Gavin sets his beer down hoists the android-up bridal style. “You don’t have to tell me twice,” he agrees, grinning at the startled noise and the way Nines quickly wraps his arms around him. “You’re a hell of a lot lighter than you look, you hulking giant.”

“Hey!” comes a sharp whisper, punctuated by teeth sinking into his shoulder a tongue lapping at the skin.

Gavin merely lets out a brief chuckle before depositing the offended android on to his bed, thankful that the room was dark enough to disguise how messy it actually was. He’s quick to claim his space over Nines, leaning down to capture soft lips with his own, cutting off any potential protests long before they’re formed.

It doesn’t take much for Nines to completely melt once more, letting Gavin gently work his undone shirt off. He breaks the kiss only to yank his own t-shirt off, before reclaiming his mouth, tongue eagerly swirling inside to taste whiskey, warmth, and a slight tang of metal.

Nines bucks against him, clearly impatient – it had been a bit, since that first glorious time at the bar – and Gavin takes the hint to start undoing his pants. The android chose to wore jeans this time, and they come free a lot easier than those stupidly sexy leather pants. Nines gracelessly kicks them and his boots off, not caring where either end up, leaving him clad in only a tight pair of briefs.

Gavin breaks this kiss once more to settle back onto his haunches, a low whistle escaping him as he studies the stunning android below him. He hadn’t really had the time or ability to do this, but now that he can, he’s amazed by what he sees. Nines’s skin is perfect, dotted with random beauty marks and freckles, and Gavin swears he could spend hours just tracing them.

However, he’s drawn out of his reverie by a muffled noise and flicks his eyes up to see Nines, flushed a rich blue, gaze averted, and the back of his hand pressed lightly over his mouth. “What?” Gavin murmurs, stooping down once more to trail kisses over Nines’s chest and up to his collar bone.

“Y-you, ah, were staring, is all. I’m not used to that,” Nines admits, an embarrassed edge to his voice.

Gavin huffs. “Yea, well, you’re gonna have to get used to it. You’re fucking gorgeous.” He uses Nines’s shock to steal another kiss, and then it’s on. The android’s hands make quick work of Gavin’s jeans and soon them, along with both of their respective pairs of underwear, are scattered somewhere on the floor of Gavin’s bedroom.

He presses into the body beneath him, teeth leaving marks as he makes his way back down the warm body, soft moans and breathy gasps escaping the android. “Gavin, _please_ ,” Nines moans, arching his back as Gavin’s teeth and lips latch onto a sensitive nipple, his hands finding purchase on the android’s hips. Nines’s own hands are fisted in the comforter, his body trembling with need.

“Please what, baby?” Gavin finally manages, having abandoned Nines’s nipple in favor of lapping at his abs. One hand slides further in, teasingly brushing against his aching cock.

“A-ah, Gavin!” the android breathes out. It’s almost too much overstimulation – sure, he’s fucked around, but no one has ever paid his body this much attention.

Seemingly taking pity on the quivering being, Gavin slides his hands down Nines’s thighs and pulls him up. The android is pliant beneath him, giving way easily to Gavin’s demands, allowing the man to manhandle him as he desires, and damn if that isn’t just about the hottest fucking thing. He pulls Nines’s legs up just a touch further, allowing himself the perfect position to carefully slide in. He presses forward, the tip of his dick breaching the warm, wet entrance. Beneath him, Nines bites his lip to muffle a cry, legs tightening against the man momentarily.

It’s teasingly – agonizingly – slow for both of them as Gavin takes his time, pushing himself fully into Nines, allowing the android to once again mold perfectly around his dick. He’s as amazed as he was the first time, and takes a moment to appreciate it, letting his hands slide back from Nines’s legs to his hips, giving a gently squeeze as he presses slightly forward. It shifts their position just enough that a jolt of electric pleasure rockets up Nines’s spinal column, making him cry out and almost spasm against Gavin.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Gavin mutters, rocking once again, letting his hands slide further up Nines’s chest. It’s the same reaction from the android as his cock brushes against a particular sensitive spot deep within him, and Gavin doesn’t even have time to contemplate the fact that Amanda built him with a literal fucking g-spot, before Nines is rutting against him, panting and pleading for Gavin to fuck him out.

It’s all the motivation Gavin needs to pin the android to his bed, his hands forcibly untangling Nines’s from the bedsheets before pressing them above his head. The pressure would have bruised a human, he thinks briefly, but the blissful expression on Nines’s face as he picks up the pace, his thrusts still measured but gaining in speed, tells him that the pressure on his wrists isn’t even noted.

It’s practically magical, how their bodies work together. Honestly, it shouldn’t work as well as it does, but… Gavin wasn’t about to complain, and neither was Nines. Not when it felt like literal fucking heaven on Earth.

Soon, as his breathing becomes ragged, his thrusts begin to lose their perfect pace – a stutter here, a jerk there. They’re both breaching the threshold of orgasm, and Gavin presses even closer into Nines, diving deeper into him, striking that sensitive bundle irregularly. Each time he does so, it elicits a cry from the android, each one becoming more and more strangled. Patches of Nines’s synth-skin are fading randomly, but there’s a noticeable strip across his thigh from where he’s pressed it up against Gavin’s side, and one straight across his face, the previous flush having glitched out, resulting in the flesh disabling momentarily.

Gavin hits the nerves one, two, three more times, and that’s all it takes for Nines to come undone, crying out as his climax washes over him, ropes of synthetic cum splashing across his abdomen. The pulses of his orgasm drive Gavin into his, and he lets out a low groan as he cums, filling the android. He rides through the last few thrusts, slowly, both letting the pleasure ebb away.

Eventually, he carefully draws out of Nines but doesn’t pull away, instead opting to keep the android pinned as he leans into him, mouth finding his neck to leave a few more marks there. He’s aware that the bedsheets are going to be ruined, but at this point, he can’t bring himself to care.

“Gavin,” Nines practically mewls, bucking up as much as he can against the man keeping him pinned. “Baby,” he breathes, and Gavin pulls back, half-lidded gaze meeting his.

“Yes?” he murmurs, voice slightly hoarse.

Nines hits him with a slightly pleading look. “Can I clean up?” he murmurs, and Gavin’s intrigued to hear faint static crackling within it – perhaps his own version of hoarseness. He’s suddenly very glad that his apartment building has excellent soundproofing.

For a moment, Gavin contemplates, before stretching up to clumsily yank the tissue box onto the bed. “Sure,” he replies, a tad cheekily, offering a wad of tissues.

With a roll of his eyes, Nines nudges Gavin off of him and the man complies, settling into the bed next to him, watching as Nines’s takes the few tissues to wipe the cum off of his abdomen. “Shower?” Nines asks, a bit too out of it to bother forming full sentences.

“In the morning,” Gavin replies, capturing Nines’s lips in a deep kiss to once more end any potential protests. He parts just a moment later, wrapping his arms around the android and pulling him close. “For now, sleep.”

Nines huffs out a little laugh and wraps himself around Gavin, nuzzling into his chest. “Fine,” he murmurs.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo, sorry for the delay there! the holidays took me out more than i expected. last chapter should be posted next Monday the 11th!


	5. What It Is to Burn

“Like a bad star, I'm falling faster down to her  
She's the only one who knows what it is to burn”

What It Is to Burn - Finch

-~-

The next day came too quickly, and with a rather unpleasant start as well as Gavin was violently jostled by Nines bolting upright in bed. He let out a huff and rolled onto his back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he watched the android frantically scramble to yank on his jeans. “Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

“Sixty’s missing,” is all Nines supplies, grabbing his shirt from the floor and practically ripping it in his haste to pull it on.

“Hey, whoa, _whoa_.” Gavin shoves himself ungracefully out of bed, reaching out to the android to gently grasp his wrist. “Baby calm down. Tell me what’s happened.”

Nines stills, and slowly turns to look at him, his LED spinning a brilliant crimson. “Connor called me. Sixty hasn’t come home for a couple days. He’s not answering any messages.”

There’s a moment of stillness, before Gavin lets out a soft, “ _fuck_ ,” followed by a flurry of movement as they both rush to get dressed and get out of the apartment. Gavin barely remembers to put some food in the cat’s bowls and check their water before he’s booking it after Nines down the hallway. They skip the elevators entirely, opting instead to turn the stairwell into an Olympic sprint track. They make it to the garage in record time, and Gavin skids to a halt behind Nines, huffing for breath.

“Hey!” he calls out to the android, who’s already made his way over to his car. Blue eyes flick up to him briefly as the car door pulls open. “I’m going to get a hold of Hank. He’s got some, uh, buddies on the force. They might be able to help us out.”

Nines merely nods, and then he’s gone, the sleek car peeling out of the garage faster than Gavin’s seen it move before, leaving slick black tire marks on the cement. He takes another moment to regain his breath before plopping himself on his bike and yanking his phone out of his pocket.

It’s only dialing for a few seconds before Hank answers. “Yea, Reed?”

“Have you spoken to Connor?”

“Fuckin’ hell… I’m doing good, thanks for asking. No, I haven’t. Why?”

“Sixty’s missing,” Gavin supplies, doing the best to keep the bite out of his voice. No need to get snippy with a higher-up, even despite the circumstances.

His statement is met by only silence, which is followed by faint ruffling, and then a quick, “I’m on my way,” before the line clicks dead.

Frowning, Gavin shoves his phone back into his pocket, kicks on his bike, and hightails it out of the garage and into the heart of the city.

-~-

The door to the penthouse clicks open and the first thing Gavin notices is how deadly silent it is. Hank is standing in the foyer, on the phone – a private conversation with one of his cop contacts – and he too shoots a strange look at Gavin when he realizes how seemingly empty the penthouse is. They had both been expecting something at least; usually the speakers in the penthouse are playing faint music, at the very least. It’s enough to chill them both to the bone; had something happened in the interim?

Now sufficiently on edge, Gavin steps into entryway and makes his way further into the first floor of the penthouse, past the dining room and kitchen. He turns and heads to the living room, before noticing that the doors to the office are slightly open. His hand dips towards the gun holstered on his thigh as he quietly creeps closer, listening for any little sound. He’s just upon the door when it blows open and Connor practically runs right into him, yelping as he halts his frantic path.

“ _Fuck!_ ” they both cry out, jumping away from one another.

“Holy _shit_ , Connor! It was so fuckin’ quiet in here I thought something happened!” Gavin snaps, arms gesturing at the surrounding area. The look that Connor shoots him immediately makes him deflate, however. “Sorry,” he mutters, crossing his arms. His attention is drawn to Nines emerging from the office, tablet in hand. “Find anything out?”

Nines sighs softly and looks over at the man, his expression saddened. “All we know is that he was seen leaving Connor’s bar with a man we can’t identify. He was wearing a hat that obscured his face in all of the footage we’ve reviewed.”

“It’s possible he’s another android,” Connor butts in, holding his own tablet up. On it, a still from the security footage is displayed, showing a man chatting up Sixty. In his hand is a bright blue beverage. “That could also be a drink made with blue curacao, but it looks like it has a faint glow.”

“Fuck, you two could be cops,” comes Hank’s voice from across the room. He’s making his way over to them, phone in hand. “Speaking of which, got a couple friends on the lookout in a few different spots.”

Connor relaxes a bit when he sees Hank, and almost melts as the large man envelops him in a tight hug. Nines and Gavin share a look, both hiding small smirks, before Gavin turns back to studying the camera footage. Nines joins him, tapping the tablet with a bare finger, synthskin peeled back a touch to reveal his black chassis. A moment later, the large TV in the living room lights up, displaying the camera footage in high definition.

Gavin shoots him a look, and Nines merely shrugs. “We were coming out here to analyze the photo on a larger, clearer screen when you arrived.” The android makes his way into the living room, studying the paused footage intently. “That’s definitely a thirium drink,” he murmurs eventually, “unless this man was a menace who enjoyed drinking straight curacao—” the thought of which made Gavin almost gag “—the blue is much too strong and effervescent to not be a thirium-based drink.”

“Who was working the bar that night? Maybe they’d recognize whoever that is.”

“It was Chloe who might have the better idea out of any of the staff,” Connor murmurs, scrolling through the staff schedule on another tablet. “Chloe and Irving were on the bar. The footage shows Chloe serving him a drink, and—”

“ _Chloe_?” Gavin grits out, eyes wide and fixed on Connor. There’s a familiar sensation, one he had actually felt just last night, of ice running through his veins. The dots are slowly connecting – Kamski reaching out, the photo he had of Nines and Gavin, Chloe being at Connor’s bar… It’s forming a perfect little package, one that Gavin knows is going to blow up in his face as soon as he unwraps it.

Both Connor and Nines are studying him worriedly, watching as Gavin grabs the tablet that’s currently displaying the security footage and flicks through a couple of the different angles. Sure enough, there is footage from a camera pointed directly at the bar. Gavin lets it roll through for a moment, watching the woman behind the bar work. How the fuck had he never noticed… sure, she’d changed her hair color and was wearing glasses, but that was without a doubt Kamski’s Chloe. Holy _fuck_ … This was way too many shitty revelations in a span of just 24 hours, and it was beginning to feel like Gavin’s head was going to spin clean off his shoulders.

“Gavin?” says Nines, voice laced with faint concern, breaking him out of his stupor.

“I know that Chloe. She’s Elijah Kamski’s first ever android, she’s been around for fuckin’ years. I… I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her before,” he says slowly, setting the tablet down on the coffee table.

“Wait, do you think Kamski has something to do with Sixty’s disappearance?” Hank asks, his eyes studying the still image displayed on the TV. “What reason would he have…?”

“I don’t know, but I’m fucking calling him,” Gavin snarls, ripping his phone out of his pocket and dialing Elijah’s number faster than he ever has before. The line rings in his ear, and he slowly lets out a stream of curses before--

“Gavin—wow, okay, wonderful way to be greeted, how—”

“What the _fuck_ , Elijah?”

There’s silence, apparently another common theme this afternoon, before Elijah clears his throat. “What am I missing?”

“You fuck, you—don’t play dumb with me! Last night was just a fucking _ploy_ , wasn’t it?” His voice is raised, echoing through the large penthouse. Both Nines and Connor are staring at him in shock, while Hank merely has a hand pressed over the lower half of his face, eyes narrowed.

Elijah huffs on the other end, indignancy taking over his tone. “Gavin, I don’t know _what_ you are getting at, but I certainly do not appreciate being accused of… _whatever_ it is you’re accusing me of. What _are_ you accusing me of?”

“Chloe works at the same bar that Nines’s brother disappeared from, and you’re telling me that’s a fucking _coincidence_?”

“Wait, what?” For once, Elijah seems surprised. It almost, _almost_ , brings a sense of pride to Gavin; it’s rare that Kamski was flustered by anything. “Okay, yes, I’m sorry. I should have told you that Chloe worked there; to be fair, she does not live with me anymore, and hasn’t for quite some time, but… I don’t understand what this has to do with Nines’s missing brother.”

Gavin lets out a low groan and flops onto the couch, hand scrubbing over his face. He looks up at Connor, eyebrows knitting together. “You said Chloe was working, have you asked her yet?”

Connor nods, glancing over in the direction of the front door. “I… had asked her to stop by, so I could review the footage with her. She’s worked for me for almost a year, at this point, I…” He pauses and turns to start pacing, LED frantically spinning vermillion.

“Gav,” comes Elijah’s voice from the phone.

Gavin leans forward and places the phone on the table, turning it on speaker. “What?”

There’s a soft sigh, and then Elijah starts speaking. “I should have told you that Chloe is also a bit… involved with Jericho. After she became deviant, she sought them out for help, in order to find herself. She left over a year and a half ago. Hell, it’s because of her and her girlfriend North, that Jericho even became as big as it is. And when Markus joined the ranks, well… His money brought more growth than previously thought possible. I only know the basics, plus a little of what Chloe’s shared with me. And I know that you work with Central, but… It’s like I’ve been trying to tell you this entire time; Jericho isn’t your enemy.”

There’s a pause which, knowing Kamski, is purely for dramatic effect. It works, however, and the air thickens with trepidation. A part of Gavin knows what he’s going to say next – that Central and Jericho actually have one common big bad enemy, that they need to focus their efforts on taking down…

“It’s Cyberlife.”

Yep, there it is.

Gavin lets out a long-suffering sigh and buries his hands in his hands. “Saw that coming,” he mutters.

“Honestly,” Nines quietly speaks up, sparing a furtive glance at Connor, “so did I.”

The look that Connor levels them all with could melt through steel, Nines thinks. “No,” he hisses out, “ _no_. Jericho is… is a threat, to us, to all other androids, to… to the balance of life between human and android. They are dangerous! Amanda wanted to stop them in their tracks when she first heard of them, she—” he’s cut off by a knock on the door. Snapping his jaw shut, he turns to the entryway just as the door swings open and in steps Chloe.

She looks almost sheepish as she pulls the glasses off of her face and sets them on the top of her head, giving a little wave. “Hi there. I, uhm… For what it’s worth, I am sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just… knew how you felt about us, and… I was hoping I could change your mind. I didn’t realize that Josh would get to your brother before I could talk with you.”

And with that, she steps aside, allowing Sixty to stalk past her. His expression is hardened, eyes ablaze; it’s a mirror of Connor’s expression, and Gavin notes just how identical the two androids are in that very moment. “For fuck’s _sake_!” he yells, throwing his arms out. “I can’t even handle you and your bullshit anymore, Connor! Your fucking holier-than-thou diatribe about Jericho is honestly pathetic, at this point, and you need to face the fucking facts. Jericho is not, and never fucking has been, our enemy!”

A million emotions flicker across Connor’s face – anger, relief, the briefest hint of sadness – before he crumples against Hank, absolutely defeated as he looks between Sixty, Chloe, and the strange tall android that is awkwardly standing in the entryway still, a familiar-looking hat in hand.

Sixty, caught up in his own torrent of emotions, doesn’t still. “I get it! You want to find purpose after Amanda died, you wanted to follow her wishes. But for fuck’s _sake_ , Connor. The very last thing she said was that she just wanted us to be happy! I know you fixated on this idea of destroying Jericho, but they have done _nothing_ to us. Fuck, they welcomed me with open arms actually!”

Chloe, flushing slightly, offers a faint smile as she nods. “We did, and, well… Josh _especially_ did.” She punctuates that with a faint giggle that manages to break the tension, and Sixty seems to relax slightly, shooting his friend a teasing glare.

A quiet, “that’s my girl,” echoes from the cell phone and Gavin remembers that Elijah is still on the line. With a roll of his eyes and a tap of the finger, he ends the phone call and slides his phone back into his pocket.

The tall android finally steps forward, gently placing a hand on Sixty’s shoulder. His expression is warm, eyes impossibly soft as he studies Connor. “I’m sorry if we made you worry. I tried to get him to reach out to you, to at least let you know he was okay, but… he’s quite stubborn.”

“No, he’s just an asshat,” Sixty mutters, leaning back against the android – Josh, clearly. The anger has dissipated from him entirely it seems, his frame relaxing as Josh leans in to press a soft kiss to his cheek while he simultaneously wraps an arm around his waist.

As the tension slowly fades out of the room, Connor seems to look conflicted, his LED still spinning rapidly. Hank pulls him into another tight hug, his hand rubbing soothing circles against his lower back.

Nines settles into the couch next to Gavin, clearly feeling unsettled. Gavin reaches out and gently takes his hand, lacing their fingers together, and offers him a reassuring smile.

Eventually, Sixty speaks back up, his tone measured. “Look, I… I’m sorry ‘bout not answering any of your messages. I just… needed a break.”

Connor lets out a slow sigh, eyes trained on the floor. “I… I suppose that makes sense. And a part of me knows that Kamski is right; Cyberlife is a bigger threat. They risk destroying androids as a whole, especially if they become even further entangled with the government. So many politicians are being hand-fed their bullshit.” He runs a hand through his hair, loosening a few of the curls, and slowly lifts his eyes to look between Josh and Chloe. “I’ll be honest, the thought of taking down Cyberlife was significantly more terrifying than taking down Jericho. I suppose that’s why I fixated on it… Even Amanda, before her death, talked about how much of a threat Cyberlife is. I was just… I was scared.”

Hank presses a soft kiss to the side of Connor’s head and ruffles his loosened curls. “You don’t have to be scared anymore, sweetheart. We’re here. You can have all of Central on your side, too, I’m sure of it. I can talk to Fowler about it.”

“And you have Jericho, as well,” Chloe mentions, her expression warm as she regards Connor.

“Fuck, and you’ve got Kamski, too. He’d love to see Cyberlife go down after what they did to him,” Gavin pipes up, a slight grin stretching across his face. “I get it, I do. Cyberlife’s a big fish to fry. I mean, they’re a fucking giant, worldwide corporation and we’re just some fuckin’ Detroit gangs.” He gives Nines’s hand a gentle squeeze as he stands, the android following after him. “But the way they’re operating, and the shit they’re trying to pull… They should be our focus.”

“Agreed,” Hank replies, now wearing a broad gapped-tooth grin on his face as well.

Connor, now practically putty in Hank’s arms, lets out a low groan and turns to bury his head into the larger man’s chest. “I know, I know. You all _are_ right, and… well.” His voice is faintly muffled as he speaks, and he pauses for another moment before lifting his head to continue. “If you think Jericho would be willing to work with Central, and vice versa, then… maybe it is a mission we can all focus on.”

Sixty lets out a low whistle of relief, shoulders visibly sagging. “Thank fuck,” he mutters.

“I’m still mad at you though,” Connor snips at him.

“That’s fair,” Sixty returns with a cheeky smirk.

-~-

The view from the penthouse’s balcony is, honestly, breath-taking. It’s one Nines certainly hasn’t appreciated enough, and he’s reminded of that fact as he leans against the railing, looking out over the city. In the far distance, he can see the twinkling lights of Cyberlife’s Bell Isle tower, but any thoughts of taking the company down are in the way back of his mind. He’s currently more focused on the sound of boot-clad footsteps making their way over to him, and then by the sensation of arms gently wrapping around his waist to pull him against a warm body.

“Hey, baby,” Gavin murmurs, leaning onto Nines’s back. “Fuck, that is a _gorgeous_ view.”

“Yes, it is. I was just thinking about how little I appreciate it,” replies Nines, his voice soft.

There’s a faint chuckle from the man pressed against him, and he can feel the rumble of it on his back. “I was talking about you, but yea, the city is pretty too I guess.”

The compliment draws a blue-tinged blush to the androids face and he straightens up, causing Gavin to reluctantly let go and move to lean against the railing next to him, resting his elbows on the metal bar. “Flattery gets you nowhere,” Nines deadpans, doing his best to hide the blush, thankful that dusk has started to settle in.

There’s a look that flickers through Gavin’s eyes, before he’s suddenly crowding in on Nines, a mischievous smirk on his lips. “I’m pretty sure it got me into those tight pants before, darling,” he purrs, and the blush deepens immediately, blowing Nines’s cool charade completely off-kilter.

“W-well,” he stutters out, glancing away briefly, only to be pulled into a soft kiss. It takes him by surprise at first, but he concedes rapidly, letting himself be drawn into the man before him. They part after a moment, and Gavin’s eyes are full of something that Nines can’t quite place – an emotion he’s honestly never seen before in anyone else. He’s about to speak up when the balcony door swings open and Hank steps out, slowly looking up from the phone in his hand.

“Hey, Reed, I—” he halts, freezing in place, as he quickly looks between Nines and Gavin. “Fuck, uh, sorry to interrupt. Was just gonna say I’m ordering food and drinks.”

Nines lets out a faint huff, while Gavin nervously chuckles next to him, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yea, uh, we’ll be back inside in a moment.”

Hank nods, and a smirk makes its way over his face. “I totally saw this coming, by the way.” And with that, he almost triumphantly turns on his heel and heads back inside.

Gavin groans and buries his face into the crook of Nines’s neck. “Fuck, that’s embarrassing. I mean, he was gonna find out eventually, but why in this _exact_ moment? Almost killed the mood!”

Nines chuckles softly, pressing himself a touch more into Gavin. “Because the universe hates us?” he responds, keeping his voice low and soft.

Huffing, Gavin tilts his head back and looks back up at Nines, that same indiscernible emotion surfacing. “Guess it’s official, huh?” he whispers, bringing a hand up to cup Nines’s lower jaw, his thumb gently stroking across the smooth skin.

“I… suppose so. Is that okay?” Nines replies, a faint waver to his voice.

“Of course, it is,” Gavin says, leaning in to capture the other’s lips in another kiss. Nines fully wraps his arms around Gavin’s shoulders, feeling an arm slide around his waist as he does so.

They part a moment later, Nines flushed a pretty light blue. Briefly, they revel in the city sounds and the feeling of being wrapped around one another, before Gavin turns his head and nervously clears his throat, eyes darting to the floor.

“Uh, fuck,” he tries, biting his lip for a moment. “I’ve, uh, literally never done this before.”

Nines lets out another little chuckle. “What, date someone seriously?”

“No… tell someone that I love them.”

Nines’s eyes widen, and it feels like any air has left his artificial lungs as the weight of what has just left Gavin’s mouth settles on his shoulders. “I—” he starts but is choked off almost immediately as his eyes suddenly burn with the threat of startled tears.

There’s a shift in Gavin’s expression, eyes widening in faint panic as his heart drops to his feet and a hollow sensation settles in the pit of his stomach. “Fuck, I ruined it, didn’t I? I—I’m so sorry, that was too soon, I—”

He’s cut off as Nines’s lips crash against his. It’s probably the least coordinated kiss they’ve had, mostly due to the fact that Gavin is too baffled to respond, but as Nines pulls away, a few tears spilling from his eyes, the pieces click into place for Gavin. “I love you, too.”

Bringing his hand back up as relief and fondness overtake him, Gavin gently wipes the tears away and presses a kiss to Nines’s cheek. “I mean it, baby. I love you.”

Nines nods and buries his head into Gavin’s shoulder, doing his best to quell the sudden tears and relax against the man he loves.

From inside, unbeknownst to the two of them, Hank reluctantly hands Connor a twenty-dollar bill. “Jesus, I thought for sure Nines would be the first to say it,” he mutters, rolling his eyes as Connor shoots him a brilliant smile.

“I can’t lie, it took me by surprise, too,” Sixty replies, stepping up next to them. “Now stop reading their lips, Connor, and give them some damn privacy.”

Connor huffs out a faint chuckle. “It’s not my fault those idiots forgot we can see out of the massive windows that overlook the balcony.”

“Eventually someone’s gonna have to drag them inside, I’ve still got food and drinks to order,” Hank mutters, crossing his arms.

“Not it,” is all Sixty returns as he walks back to join Josh on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... phew. this was not the final chapter I had intended, and it's obvious much later than I wanted to post. had some not-so-great things happen in my life (beginning to think January is cursed), but I sat down and was able to crank this out and, honestly, I'm happy with it. I am hoping to revisit the Ludens story, but for now, this is where it ends. if you made it out this far, thanks for sticking around!!


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